China's space program officials have confirmed that the country is all set to launch its next lunar probe, Chang'e 2, in the October of 2010 to prepare for an unnamed landing on the moon by 2012 end.

The Chang'e 2 is an advanced version of the first probe, the Chang'e 1 which, in March, hit the moon in a controlled collision putting a successful end to a 16 month mission.

Chang'e 2 has been designed to orbit about 60 miles (100 kilometers) closer to the moon than its predecessor, in addition to carrying a camera with increased resolution, as has been confirmed by the probe's designer Ye Peijian.

Experts all around the world are looking at the planned probe launch as a realization of China's growing space ambitions, merely 6 years after joining US and Russia as counties which launch men into orbit.

After Chang'e 2, which is the second phase of the country's ambitious moon exploration program, China has revealed plans for a third phase which will involve sending a spacecraft to collect samples from the moon's surface, which is scheduled to happen in 2017.