China will send a probe to the moon in the second half of 2017 to collect samples and bring them back to earth.
China's space agency says the mission will be in charge of Chang'e 5, which will benefit from the experience gained by other vehicles that have made trips to the moon.
The Chang'e 1 orbited the moon in 2007 and Chang'e 3 landed on the moon's surface in 2013, while an unnamed spacecraft reached the moon's orbit and then returned to earth at the end of 2014.
The State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence is also preparing to send Chang'e 4, whose launch is scheduled for 2018 and which will be the first probe to land on the hidden face of the moon.
But the most immediate mission of the Chinese space program will take place in the second half of this year when the launch of a new, manned mission is scheduled, the first since 2013.
China is also planning to send a spacecraft with an exploratory probe to Mars by 2020.
