A small step toward a big future

Witnessing the Long March-3B rocket blast off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center and seeing the scientists and technicians hugging each other was a truly emotional moment.

As I watched from a mountain top observation point high above the launch pad in the chilly morning, I saw the rocket emit a dazzling trail of fire, while the thunder of the rising colossus stunned me and shook the earth.

The lunar rover Yutu, or "Jade Rabbit", will connect a long-cherished dream of the Chinese people with the glorious history of human expeditions to the moon. A history that has been suspended for nearly four decades.