In another development, the spokesman said the Chang'e 7 robotic lunar mission is progressing smoothly, with pre-launch preparations underway at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province.

　　"All work is progressing steadily as scheduled. The probe is set to be launched at an appropriate time in the second half of this year," he said, adding that the Chang'e 7 mission will conduct surveys of the environment and resources at the lunar south pole.

　　Zhang also said that, to leverage the technical expertise and hands-on experience accumulated over decades through China's manned spaceflight missions and the Chang'e robotic lunar program, space authorities have begun integrating the crewed lunar landing program with ongoing unmanned lunar expeditions.

　　zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn