China is one step closer to achieving its numerous space project programs as it launched its first lunar rover mission. The 'Jade Rabbit', a 260lb rover blasted off from Xichang, South China. According to BBC reports, it was named after 3.4 million voters voted on an online poll in choosing the name of the rover. The name Jade Rabbit or Yutu was taken from an ancient Chinese myth about the pet rabbit of the lunar goddess, Chang'e.

The design of the rover allows it to travel at a speed of 660ft per hour and climb slopes at a 30 degree angle according to the rover's designers at the Shanghai Aerospace Systems Engineering Research Institute.

The lunar mission is expected to land mid-December on the northern hemisphere of the Moon. China's main target is to study the Moon's geographical surface and search for other natural resources. A spokesperson from State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense said that this is yet "the most complicated and difficult task yet in China's exploration of space."

Professor Ouyang Ziyuan told BBC last week that this lunar rover mission will test China's key technologies at the same time developing the country's own intellectual talents in both lunar and solar exploration.

This space project that the Asian superpower launched also shows how China is asserting itself in control of airspace in the East China Sea.

Other plans for future lunar missions are said to be in preparation including a mission to bring back to Earth a sample of the soil in the Moon.

The Jade Rabbit is said to be carrying a ground-breaking radar that will get data measurements of the Moon's soil and crust. These data will be used for research in seeing what possibilities are available in using the Moon's natural resources in the future.