Final test begins on lunar explorer Updated: 2013-05-15 17:37 (chinadaily.com.cn)

The last major test on China's third lunar explorer, Chang'e-3, has begun, before it blasts off for the moon in the second half of this year, China National Space Administration said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.

The 40-day testing simulated the environment on the moon to see if Chang'e-3 can endure the extreme temperatures on the moon, which range from -200 C to 150 C.

Part of the second phase of the Chinese lunar exploration program, Chang'e-3 is scheduled to be launched in the second half of the year and it will become the country's first lunar explorer to have a soft landing on the moon.