“发展空间科学，开展深空探测”是我国近期（2010年前后）的航天发展目标之一，月球探测是实现我国“开展深空探测”的第一步。发射月球探测器（或卫星）选择适当的火箭型号显得尤其重要。文章从月球探测工程对运载火箭的基本要求着手，结合国外月球探测工程的经验和长征系列火箭的现状，提出了候选火箭及其改造方案，并且对月球探测三种运行轨道的优缺点和工程的可实现性进行了分析。从航天大系统工程整体化的角度，提出了用长征三号乙加上面级发射环月卫星，同时将上面级实现硬（或软）着陆作为首选方案，用长征三号丙发射探月器进入奔月轨道作为次选方案的建议。

“Developing Space Science and Conducting Deep Space Exploration” is one of the objectives for China's space development in the near future (i.e. around the year 2010). Moon exploration is the first step to achieve the goal of “Conducting Deep Space Exploration”.To put the moon probe (or satellite) into orbit, it is especially important to select the right type of launch vehicle(s). Starting from the basic requirements of the launch vehicle(s) for the moon exploration mission, experience of moon-faring nations and current status of Long March launch vehicles, the author analyses pros and cons of the three operational orbits for moon exploration and feasibility of the program, and identifies the candidate Long Mach launch vehicles and plans for their upgrades. Taking the optimization of the overall space system engineering into consideration, the author proposes, as the primary plan, that an LM-3B with an upper stage be used for launching the satellite and the upper stage for its hard (or soft) landing on the moon, and, as the secondary plan, an LM-3C for launching a probe into lunar transfer orbit.