China's first moon orbiter was named after "moon lady" Chang'e, a mythical Chinese goddess who flew to the moon.

According to legend, Chang'e was the beautiful wife of Hou Yi, a hero who shot down nine of 10 suns that were scorching the earth. At that time, there were 10 suns that took turns to circle the earth.  But one day all 10 suns emerged together, causing immense damage on earth.

The shooting-down of nine suns by Yi, an archer, was highly praised. Yi had disciples longing to learn archery including the evil Peng Meng.

One day Yi received an immortality elixir which was seen by Peng. When Yi was away, Peng demanded Chang'e hand over the elixir but rather than surrender it, Chang'e swallowed it and started floating toward the sky. She landed on the moon as a goddess, accompanied by a jade rabbit.

Yi's loss of his wife made him immensely sad, but he noticed that the moon was especially bright and clear, and began to worship his beloved wife on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month each year.

The legend demonstrates a long-standing fascination with the moon.