On November 26, China unveiled plans to send Chang'e-3, its domestically developed lunar probe, to the Moon in early December. The probe gets its name from Chang'e, the mythological goddess from Chinese folklore who is said to live on the Moon with a rabbit.

Chang'e-3 comprises of a lander and moon rover Yutu (Jade Rabbit). The lunar probe will land on the Moon in mid-December if everything goes according to plan, said Wu Zhijian, a spokesman for the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

The mission is China's first exploration of an extraterrestrial object using a remote controlled probe, Wu added.

The tasks for Yutu include surveying the Moon's geological structure and surface composition, and looking for natural resources, said Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of China's lunar satellite project. It can travel at a speed of up to 200 meters per hour.

The moon rover will land on Sinus Iridum, which means "Bay of Rainbows" in Latin, a name the flat plain of basaltic lava was given because of the rainbow-like semicircular ridge of mountains surrounding it. Yutu will be in operation there for around three months.

The Chang'e-3 mission is the second phase of China's lunar program, which includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth. It follows the success of the Chang'e-1 and Chang'e-2 missions in 2007 and 2010.

"More than 80 percent of technology used in the mission is new," Wu noted.