By Katie Hunt, CNN

updated 10:42 PM EDT, Thu October 23, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Hong Kong (CNN) -- Up, up and away. Way away -- to the moon, in fact.

China launched an experimental spacecraft early Friday that is scheduled to orbit the moon before returning to Earth, a first for the country's ambitious space program and considered a precursor to a planned mission to the moon.

The unmanned spacecraft was launched by a Long March 3C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, western China, state media said.

It is China's first lunar module capable of returning to Earth and the mission's main technical challenge will be making sure the spacecraft slows down enough to re-enter Earth's atmosphere safely.

China's space accomplishments

China's space accomplishments

China's space accomplishments

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Giant leap for China space program