Beijing ? China will launch its first lunar probe this week, an official said Monday – weeks after regional rival Japan put one in high orbit over the moon in a big leap forward in Asia’s undeclared space race.

The rivalry is likely to be joined soon by India, which plans to send its own lunar probe into space in April.

The launch window for China’s Chang’e 1 orbiter has been set for Wednesday through Friday, with the prime time being 6 p.m. (5 a.m. CDT) Wednesday, said Li Guoping, a spokesman for the China National Space Administration.

“The orbiting of the moon is a high-tech project of self-innovation,” Li told reporters. “It will set the technological foundation for the development of China’s space exploration.”

The Chang’e 1 – named after a legendary Chinese goddess who flew to the moon – would be launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province in southwestern China, Li said.