China's 2nd lunar probe Chang'e-2 blasted off on October 1, 2010, carrying a laser altimeter developed by Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics (SITP) of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The laser altimeter together with a charge coupled device (CCD) camera is designed to take high resolution 3D pictures for the future landing site of Chang'e-3 lunar lander and rover.

The laser altimeter, more specifically, can measure the distance from the satellite to the subsatellite point on lunar surface and give information of the distance between satellite and the lunar surface to the CCD camera. Such information, combined with the orbit elements of the satellite, may provide terrain elevation data needed for the 3D pictures.

Compared with the laser altimeter installed on Chang'e-1, the one on Chang'e-2 has a smaller field of view for optical receiving, lower background noise, higher detectivity of shine-exposed side of the moon, and a smaller divergence angle of laser. As a result, its maximal repetitive frequency is increased to 5 Hz, its laser footprint pitch has been shortened, and the laser ranging precision reaches as much as 5 meters.

The laser altimeter on Chang'e-1, also developed by SITP, was China’s first independently-developed active laser remote sensor for space application.It has obtained the terrain elevation data in areas near the north and south poles that were not covered by previous missions.