9. Chang'e-4 lunar probe launched

China's Chang'e-4 lunar probe blasted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 2:23 a.m. on Dec. 8, starting a new journey for China’s lunar exploration. The probe is expected to make the first-ever soft landing on the dark side of the moon. In addition, it will set up a communication link between the earth and the moon's far side through the relay satellite "Queqiao" that China launched previously.