A monumental project like Chang'e Two requires time, money, and people. Our reporter Han Bin caught up with the Chief Designer of China's lunar probes. Ye Peijian is something of a space fanatic, as he's the first to admit.

Ye Peijian is like a proud father.

He's the Chief designer of China's first moon probe---the Chang'e One. He's been working in space exploration for some forty years. For Ye Peijian, seeing the lunar probe is a long-awaited dream come true.

Ye Peijian said, "The moon is a planet with micro-gravity, high vaccum and rich in mineral. It's hard to find such conditions on Earth. We can do many things there we can't do on Earth."

The dream of flying to the moon has deep roots in Chinese culture. According to legend, the fairy Chang'e drank a magic potion that gave her the ability to fly to there. The dream has already come true for US and Russian astronauts. But it will take China at least another decade.

China has a moon rock at the Beijing Planetarium -- a gift from former US President Jimmy Carter. The lunar exploration project has promoted public understanding of the space program and knowledge of the moon-- especially among the younger generation.

Visitor said, "The Moon is a satellite of the Earth. There are numerous craters on its surface."

Visitor said, "I think the moon is beautiful, and it's the nearest celestial body to the earth. That's why people want to go there."

This is just a simlultation of Chang'e Two. If all goes well, Ye Peijian and the world will see the real thing.

Ye Peijian said, "Until the end the 20th century, China only launched some satellites and a spaceship. Not a single probe go to the deep space. It's an honour for me as the first Chief engineer for the first lunar project.But it's only the first step."

Ye's dream is to help China set up a lunar base. He's also pushing the country to go beyond the moon, to Mars and Venus.

Han Bin said, "For many scientists like Ye Peijian, witnessing Chinese astronauts land on the moon will be another dream come true. And with the launch of the second lunnar satellite, the ancient Chinese legend of flying to the moon is coming another step closer to modern reality. "

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