China Lands On The Moon: The Best Pictures Sent By Chang'e 3 So Far (VIDEO)

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China has successfully landed on the Moon.

The unmanned Chang'e 3 lander touched down on the Lunar surface on Saturday, becoming the first man-made object to complete a 'soft landing' in four decades.

The last time humans landed a craft on the Moon was back in 1976, when the Soviet Union sent a robotic explorer to the satellite.

The Chinese lander, which is named after a Chinese goddess of the Moon, is the latest achievement in China's long-term plan to land astronauts on the Moon's surface.

China's space program is rapidly developing. It sent its first astronaut into space in 2003, and its first probe to the Moon in 2006. It now plans to launch a space station by 2020, and send humans to the Moon shortly after that.

The 12-minute landing was broadcast live on Chinese TV using a computer simulation. Its solar panels opened after landing and the craft is now sending back pictures and video of the Moon, some of which have been published.

Here are the best videos and pictures sent back by Chang'e 3 so far:

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