---
title: "China’s Moon Lander Just Entered Lunar Orbit"
description: "China's Moon lander destined for the far side of the Moon — the side that always faces away from the Earth — has now entered lunar orbit."
date: "2018-12-12"
modified: "2018-12-12"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/moon-lander-china-lunar-orbit"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Moon"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "chang'e 4"
  - "china"
  - "the moon"
---

# China’s Moon Lander Just Entered Lunar Orbit

![A Chinese lander destined for the side of the Moon — the side that always faces away from the Earth — has now entered lunar orbit.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/chinas-change-4-lander-just-entered-lunar-orbit.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: CNSA\</em\>*

## The Far Side

A Chinese lander destined for the far side of the Moon — the side that always faces away from the Earth — has now entered lunar orbit, [*Space* *News* reports](<https://spacenews.com/change-4-spacecraft-enters-lunar-orbit-ahead-of-first-ever-far-side-landing/>).

Early Wednesday morning, the spacecraft carrying the Chang'e-4 lander completed its journey from the Earth, which took nearly five days, and settled into an elliptical orbit around the Moon.

## Lunar Lander

If the mission is successful, Chang'e-4 will be the [first-ever lander](<https://futurism.com/china-change-4-far-side-of-the-moon-probe-rover>) to explore the so-called "dark side of the Moon." It'll rove the lunar surface, examine the Moon's composition, and even dabble in amateur gardening with a small pod that'll grow seeds and silkworm larvae.

To communicate with the Earth, Chang'e-4 will bounce signals off a relay satellite [launched earlier this year](<https://spacenews.com/change-4-relay-satellite-enters-halo-orbit-around-earth-moon-l2-microsatellite-in-lunar-orbit/>).

## Next Step

Chinese officials haven't announced a firm date or location for the craft's landing, but it's expected to touch down in early January 2019, probably in the [spacious Von Kármán crater](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-launches-first-lander-far-side-of-moon>).

China is already planning Chang'e-5**,** the mission to come after Chang'e-4. If all goes according to plan, that will be China's first Moon mission to return samples back to Earth and it'll launch in [late 2019](<https://gbtimes.com/chinas-change-5-lunar-sample-return-mission-to-launch-in-2019>).

**READ MORE:** [Chang’e-4 Spacecraft Enters Lunar Orbit Ahead of First-Ever Far Side Landing](<https://spacenews.com/change-4-spacecraft-enters-lunar-orbit-ahead-of-first-ever-far-side-landing/>) \[*Space News*\]

***More on Chang'e-4: [China to Land First-Ever Rover on Dark Side of the Moon](<https://futurism.com/china-change-4-far-side-of-the-moon-probe-rover>)***

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)