China going to Shoot for the Moon
China has announced plans to start sending probes to the moon this year, orbiting and eventually landing on our neighbor and companion around the sun. China’s space program has really taken off since they became the third country to ever send a man into space in 2002, and they have a lot of big plans for space. Now China is looking at adding the moon to their list of achievements.
The plan is to launch their lunar orbiter sometime this year, with their moon exploration to continue until eventually they land a lunar rover on the moon–which is now scheduled for 2012.
The moon may be starting to feel a little neglected lately. It has been just about thirty eight years — almost four decades, since the first human footprint appeared on the moon. Niel Armstrong first stepped off the ladder and made the first ever extra-terrestrial steps for humanity. The space project continued for only a handful of years. The last moon landing was in 1972. No moon landings, manned or unmanned, have hit the surface since the Luna 24 project by the Soviets in 1976. Since then, space exploration has focused on probes, satellites and shuttle missions–though the shuttle seems to be endangered at this point as well, with no clear replacement, and lunar exploration has consisted of orbits and flybys.
Honestly it is good to have some more exploration going on, more international cooperation to help get mankind to the stars. With China and the new and developing private sector of space really taking off since the X-Prize competition, things are looking good for humanity’s reach for the stars. Maybe someday we will find we are no longer a one-planet people, but can find a home on new planets as well.
