Tuesday marks China's third Space Day. The theme of this year's event is forging a new era of space development. Industry experts have gathered in Harbin of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, to discuss space technology and introduce China's latest space programs.

To land on the far side of the Moon is one of China's biggest space programs this year. The relay satellite for the Chang'e-4 lunar probe has been named "Queqiao" - after a magpie bridge from a Chinese folktale. The name was announced by the China National Space Administration on Tuesday, China's Space Day. 

BAO WEIMIN CHINA AEROSPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION "By detecting on the back of the moon, we may find data we could not get on the front. The satellite can shield the Earth's radiation, detect deep space and truly reflect some information of the universe." 

The far side of the moon is of great scientific interest, but landing there requires a relay satellite to transmit signals. The relay satellite will be sent into halo orbit in late May. And the Chang'e-4 lunar lander and rover will be sent to the Moon about six months later. If this is all successful, it will be the first time that mankind explores the far side of the moon.

China also plans to launch its heavy-lift carrier rocket, the Long March-5 Y3, in late 2018. And if all goes well then the next one -- the Y4 rocket will be used to launch the Chang'e-5 lunar probe, which will bring lunar samples back to Earth. 

TIAN YULONG CHINA NATIONAL SPACE ADMINISTRATION "The Long March 5 lays a solid foundation for the completion of other manned space and lunar exploration projects, including Mars exploration. It should be said that after the 19th National Congress, China's space industry has entered a new era. It has laid out some major activities for the next ten to twenty years, to further develop space exploration, build China's space infrastructure, and provide more scientific and technological support for innovation."

China is set to launch its first Mars probe in 2020. The next, its first permanent, manned space station is expected to be ready for service in 2022. And now China is preparing, and the world is looking to see how the new programs will drive its ambitious space program into a new era.