The United States should monitor China's activity on the far side of the Moon to ensure there is no military activity, US Space Integrated Planning Element chief Joseph Guzman said during a panel discussion on space support to air and missile defense on Tuesday

The Chinese lunar rover Yutu 2 (Jade Rabbit 2), which is now on the far side of the Moon, will switch to a sleep mode until January 10, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Friday in a statement.

Chinese lunar rover Chang'e-4, which landed successfully on the far side of the Moon for the first time in history earlier on Thursday, has sent to Earth the first images of the surface of the far side of the Moon, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) said

Advancement in communication satellite technology has made it possible for China's lunar exploration program to probe the far side of the Moon, where the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Apollo program did not reach, experts told Sputnik.

China is going to launch a spacecraft to the far side of the Moon in the next 24 hours and, if the mission succeeds, it will become the first country to land a probe there.

The blastoff of China's Chang'e 4 lander and lunar rover has been scheduled for December 8, China National Space Administration (CNSA) director for international cooperation Xu Yansong told Sputnik.

China successfully launched a rocket with BeiDou-3 twin navigation satellites, which are the 37th and 38th elements of the nation's space-based navigation system, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) said on Thursday.