China plans to launch its unmanned lunar landing program in 2004, with a lunar satellite by 2007, a senior Chinese space official said Wednesday.

Sun Laiyan, deputy director of the China National Space Administration, said the satellite, part of the three-stage program, would be followed by the landing of an unmanned vehicle on the Moon in the second stage by 2010 and collecting samples of lunar soil by 2020 in the final stage.

But he said the last two stage projects were still under review by scientists before official approval.

The satellite project was designed to obtain three-dimensional images of the lunar surface, analyze the content of useful elements and materials on the surface, and probe the depth of the lunar soil and the space environment between the Earth and the Moon, said Sun.

China would use its Long March III A launch vehicle to launch the satellite, which would be based on its Dongfanghong satellite platform, said Sun.

He described the satellite project as an important step for China's exploration into deeper space, and the Moon would provide a good platform from which to probe deeper space.

The lunar program is also known as the Chang'e Program, referring to a goddess who reached the Moon in an ancient Chinese fairy tale.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2003)