The preparation for China's Chang'e-3 moon exploration mission has progressed smoothly and the lunar rover the probe will carry is now being tested in a desert in northwest China, China News Service reported Tuesday.

"The lunar rover weighs 120 kilograms. It can move as far as 10 kilometers within the radius of 3 kilometers and conduct detection activities, sending back data to the earth," said Ye Peijian, chief scientist of deep space exploration at the China Academy of Space Technology, according to the report.

Ye said tests are now being carried out in the desert 200 kilometers from Dunhuang city in Gansu province. 90 scientists are working together to conduct relevant tests, making sure the lunar rover can move across the surface of moon successfully after being transported there by the Chang'e-3 probe.

As China's third unmanned lunar probe, following Chang'e-1 and Chang'e-2, Chang'e-3 is expected to be launched in 2013, with a successful soft landing on the moon being its main objective.

After the Chang'e-3 mission, China plans to launch other two lunar probes, Chang'e-4 and Chang'e-5. 

The Chang'e-5 is expected to bring moon rock samples back to earth if its planned launch in 2017 is successful.