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China Sets Sights on Comprehensive Lunar Survey
eldavojohn writes "Perhaps unsatisfied with the closeups that Google Moon has to offer, China has decided to survey the moon down to the 'inch'. In the second half of 2007, they plan to launch an unmanned lunar satellite to first orbit the moon, land on the moon & then return samples to earth for them to analyze. '"The moon probe project is the third milestone in China's space technology after satellite and manned spacecraft projects, and a first step for us in exploring deep space," the China National Space Administration head said. The orbiter represented the first phase, with a moon rover to be used in the second phase scheduled for around 2012, reports said. The plan for the third phase, scheduled for around 2017, was for another rover to land on the lunar surface and collect samples before returning to Earth.'"
Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter launches in 2008. And NASA's mapped the moon before. Like Clementine (SDI/NASA).
The project is to survey from orbit, and to explore with rovers on the ground, the Moon. The US is doing the very same right now - except on Mars.
The only component of the project the US has not already performed is the robot sample return. NASA have never bothered with robots returning tiny samples; they seem to rub along somehow with the six massive shovel-loads of Moon rock brought back by Apollo.
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
Do not forget that India is launching a mission shortly which includes a couple of our instruments to be able to map into dark areas as well as underground.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.