What is "chang'e"

Chang'e or Chang-o, originally known as Heng'e, is the Chinese goddess of the Moon. She is the subject of several legends in Chinese mythology, most of which incorporate several of the following elements: Houyi the archer, a benevolent or malevolent emperor, an elixir of life, and of course, the Moon. In modern times, Chang'e has been the namesake of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.

Chang'e may refer to:

• Chang'e – a Chinese moon goddess
• The Chinese Chang'e space program, part of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP):
  • Chang'e 1 – the first CLEP lunar orbiter, launched on 24 October 2007
  • Chang'e 2 – the second CLEP orbiter, launched on 1 October 2010
  • Chang'e 3 – a CLEP lunar lander and rover, launched on 1 December 2013
  • Chang'e 4 – a lunar lander, possibly to be launched in 2015
  • Chang'e 5-T1 – a lunar mission launched in 2014
  • Chang'e 5 – a lunar sample-return mission scheduled for launch in 2017
  • Chang'e 6 – a lunar mission expected to launch before 2020
• Chang-Ngo (crater) – a crater on the Moon