China moon mission possible 'within three years'

China’s planned space probe to fly to the moon and a mission could be ready to go within three years, an official with the programme said today.

However, China’s government, which is intent on launching a manned mission to orbit the earth later this year, has yet to give approval to the moon shot, the state-controlled newspaper China Daily quoted Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of the lunar program, as saying.