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Europe Heads for the Moon in July

Posted by michael on from the smart-engineers-going-continental dept.

Orlando writes "The BBC are reporting that Arianespace are all set for sending Smart1 to the Moon in July. The mission's primary objectives are testing planetary exploration technologies. This is particularly good news after the recent Arianne rocket explosion." China's also planning a moon mission. The U.S. is planning to sit around and watch.

12 of 661 comments (clear)

  1. BTDT by IvyMike · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hey, America's already Been There, Done That.

    Here's what we discovered.

    1. Re:BTDT by IvyMike · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not only is the moon landing a hoax, but I've just been informed the moon itself is a hoax.

      Best quote from the site: But don't all qualified scientists and astronomers agree that there is a moon? Indeed, but shouldn't one be suspicious of such unanimity, when universities are supposed to be forums for open debate of controversial issues. Sweet.

    2. Re:BTDT by Corgha · · Score: 4, Funny

      I can send a manned mission to Neptune that will take 40 days to get there.

      Then what are you still doing here?

  2. Good, that settles it then... by AEton · · Score: 4, Funny

    With all those veiled Internet trolls to whom Art Bell &c. give a voice.
    I hope they figure out who owns what before it touches down, too, or we'll end up with frivolous lawsuits aplenty over lunar property rights.

    --
    We recently had heard in the office over one of the Yellow Machine that's made by Anthology Solutions.
  3. King of the Hill! by jvarsoke · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wonder if Europe and China will start a "king of the hill" by knocking over the U.S. flag and posting their own when they get there.

  4. Probably not sit around... by Ieshan · · Score: 4, Funny

    We'll probably be bombing people at that time. We wouldn't want to divide our brilliant minds between science and bombing, would we?

  5. Plans for the USA by DarkHelmet · · Score: 5, Funny
    The U.S. is planning to sit around and watch.

    Nope, the US is planning sabotage. We can't have all those euro-socialist scumbags find out that we didn't really go there in the 60's. Of course not!

    I hear they're planning to send Buzz Aldrin by himself to Europe to personally pummel the ESA's people.

    And I hope they get it on tape again!

    --
    /^[A-Z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$/i
  6. Re:Is there anything worthwhile to mine on the moo by commodoresloat · · Score: 4, Funny
    Well theres the supposed ice in the perpetual shadows of some craters.

    Which is important because after a long day of working in the mines, nothing is better than a nice cold beverage, preferably scotch on the rocks. We need that ice!!!

  7. In New Zealand... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    we are planning just to do the staged moon landing thing and save a few bucks.

    Our alternative plan is to secretly sew our flag inside another countries flag (with the outer flag being UV sensitive).

    Wonder what they are doing in Soviet Russia?

  8. We saw this coming.... by Lord_Slepnir · · Score: 5, Funny
    Europe Heads for the Moon in July

    Damn, they never told me continental drift was that bad.

  9. Re:american moon missions by DavidBrown · · Score: 5, Funny

    "In all honesty, a manned mission to the moon by another country would be great. It would finally shut up all of these conspiracy theories about how the manned missions to the moon by the U.S. were elaborate hoaxes."

    What do you mean by "another country"? You're making that up. There are no other countries, and any "moon" missions that they accomplish are as made up as they are.

    "those darned Chinese"? There you go again...

    --
    144l. ph34r my 133t l3g4l 5k1lz!
  10. The U.S. is planning to sit around and watch. by spakka · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, the US is planning to create its own lunar surface in the Middle East