China's Wenchang satellite launch center.

China is planning to launch the Long March-5, that nation's largest carrier rocket, in the latter half of this year, said a senior official with the country's space program on Saturday in a Xinhua published report.

The rocket, designed to carry 25 tons into LEO, will be launched from the Wenchang satellite launch center in south China's Hainan Province. This center is the largest and best of the country's four launch grounds, said Wang Jingzhong, senior official with the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, during a press conference after the successful launch of Long March-7, China's new generation carrier rocket.

Wenchang will be used to launch satellites, low and medium Earth orbit spacecrafts, large space stations and deep-space probes, he said.

In the next few years, the Chang'e-5 lunar probe and modules of China's space station will also be launched from Wenchang.