DHAKA: China’s state media and people eagerly awaited the launch early Monday of the country’s first lunar rover mission, the next step in an ambitious space programme.

The Chang’e-3 rocket carrying the ‘Jade Rabbit’ rover to explore the moon is set to blast off at 1:30am (1730 GMT Sunday).

It will be the third such rover mission to the moon but will boast more sophisticated technology than US and Soviet missions decades earlier.

‘The news channel will begin live coverage tonight at midnight... Spread the word!’ state broadcaster CCTV said on its official account on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, reports The Voice of Russia.

The background of its Weibo page showed the moon’s surface in black and white with the gold-coloured rover bearing the national flag of bright red with yellow stars.

China National Radio on one of its Weibo accounts promised two hours of live coverage starting an hour before the launch.

‘Gonna stay up tonight to watch the live coverage! Go Chang’e! Go Jade Rabbit!’ wrote one Weibo user.

BDST: 1953 HRS, DEC 01, 2013