China's First Lunar Lander To Launch Today; Manned Mission Planned By 2030

c0lo writes "A Chinese Long March rocket is scheduled to blast off to the Moon on Sunday evening at about 6pm UTC carrying a small robotic rover that will touch down on to the lunar surface in about two weeks' time – the first soft landing on the Earth's only natural satellite since 1976. China has been methodically and patiently building up the key elements needed for an advanced space programme — from launchers to manned missions in Earth orbit to unmanned planetary craft — and it is investing heavily. After only 10 years since it independently sent its first astronaut into space, China is forging ahead with a bold three-step programme beginning with the robotic exploration of possible landing sites for the first Chinese astronauts to set foot on lunar soil between 2025 and 2030. Prof Ouyang Ziyuan of the department of lunar and deep space exploration and an adviser to the mission commented to the BBC on the scale of Chinese thinking about the Moon. He said the forthcoming venture would land in an ancient crater 400km wide called Sinus Iridum, thought to be relatively flat and clear of rocks, and explore its geology. China.org.cn promised live coverage of the event."

Comments

Space race anybody?

[alexander_686]

Good for them. I wish them the best of luck.

I kind of hope this kicks off another space race. That would be so much better then a battleship arms race (see WWI) or a nuclear arms race (see cold war).

Re:Space race anybody?

[Gravis Zero]

Because in space, no weapons are allowed

that happened shortly after we scared the hell out of ourselves by detonating a 1.4 megaton nuke in space which created a hugeass radiation belt which damages satellites.

Re:Space race anybody?

[khallow]

the space race was really about making ICBMs. sputnik intentionally looks like the nose cone of a missile.

It's worth noting that the nose cone of orbital-capable rockets would look like nose cones of ICBM missiles anyway, because they're solving the same problem - handling high atmospheric loading on the front of a rocket.

And if you're already making ICBM missiles (the R-7 being the first such and the basis for the Sputnik rocket), it makes sense to base an early orbital vehicle off that frame as well for economies of scale (US private industry did the same with the Atlas, Titan, and Delta series).

So Sputnik probably would have looked like an ICBM even if that wasn't the actual intent of the Soviet program.

Re:Beijing: we'll see your lunar launch

[Sponge Bath]

I predict there will be dead Chinese Astronauts on the moon.

That permanent presence will back their territorial claim over the entire satellite, followed by a declared "defensive identification zone".

You Misunderstand

[Frosty Piss]

A race when an opponent has reached the finish line in friggin 1969?

The equation is different now. There are resources to be mined on the moon. It's not a matter of if we will exploit the moon's natural resources, it's when. China already holds the cards on many basic materials of technology, they would like to hold more.

Re:I am afraid tech lines are being narrowed...

[Ksevio]

To make matters worse, they own most of our debt

That's not true in any sense. The US owns most of its debt. China owns the largest share of foreign held debt (though less than 1/4 of that). Altogether they hold less than 10% of the US debt.