Nation to launch asteroid probe next year

China plans to carry out a series of massive space programs in the near future, according to a senior official of the China National Space Administration.

Bian Zhigang, deputy director of the space administration, said on Thursday at a news conference in Beijing that the administration is working on two new lunar expeditions and three deep-space exploration missions.

"We are developing the Chang'e 7 and Chang'e 8 robotic probes. Chang'e 7 will be sent to the South Pole region on the moon to conduct environmental and resources surveys, while Chang'e 8 will undertake technology demonstrations for in-situ resources utilization," he told Chinese and foreign journalists attending the news conference, which was hosted by the State Council Information Office.