Chinese space program

The three astronauts who blasted off Thursday from the Jiuquan launch center in northwestern China will stay three months in the Tianhe, or Heavenly Harmony.

The two countries' space agencies say the proposal, which sets no time frame, could include an orbiting station, a base on the surface, or both.

Lunar lander Chang'e 4 successfully touched down on Thursday morning. China's Xinhua News published a photo it says was taken by the probe "on the never-visible side of the moon."

Others have explored the far side of the moon from afar, but Chinese researchers are hoping a soft landing on the dark side of the lunar surface will allow for more detailed study.

China's Tiangong-1, launched in 2013, is expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere sometime between March 31 and April 2, according to the European Space Agency.

Ahead of a separate plan to visit the moon's far side, China hopes to return lunar samples to Earth in late 2017.