BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The following are the highlights of China's science news from the past week:

MARS PROBE

The fourth Long March-5 rocket, to be used to launch China's first Mars exploration mission, was vertically transported to the launching area at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province on Friday.

The carrier rocket, coded as Long March-5 Y4, is planned to be launched in late July or early August.

MARINE SATELLITES

China's domestically developed marine observation satellites will be used to study the distribution of coral reefs in the South China Sea, and facilitate protection and restoration of coral reefs.

The National Satellite Ocean Application Service will cooperate with a coral reef research center in Guangxi University to monitor coral reefs in the South China Sea with the help of marine satellite and high-resolution satellite data.

LUNAR PROBE

The lander and rover of the Chang'e-4 probe have resumed work for the 20th lunar day on the far side of the moon.

The lander woke up at 5:48 a.m. Wednesday (Beijing Time), and the rover awoke at 12:53 p.m. Tuesday. Both are in normal working order, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration.

ARCTIC EXPEDITION

Chinese scientists set off for the 11th Arctic expedition Wednesday aboard Xuelong 2, the country's first domestically built polar icebreaker, departing from Shanghai.

It is the first scientific expedition to the Arctic for Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, after it completed its first Antarctica expedition in April. It is expected to return to Shanghai in late September after a trip of 12,000 nautical miles.

PLANT FOSSIL

Scientists have discovered a plant fossil dating back 160 million years to the dinosaur-dominated Jurassic Period.

The fossils containing two specimens were found in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The fossils show distinct branches, leaves, buds and seed-bearing structures and bear close resemblance to an extant species called catkin-yews Amentotaxus. Enditem

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