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China Targets 2018 For Landing Probe On Far Side of Moon (reuters.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Despite all the time we've spent studying the moon, nobody has ever deployed a probe to its far side. Now, China has announced that it plans to land a probe there in 2018. The craft they plan to send is similar to the Chang'e-3 probe with its Jade Rabbit rover. They plan to study the geologic conditions on the far side of the moon. "China insists that its space program is for peaceful purposes. However, the U.S. Defense Department has highlighted China's increasing space capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed at preventing its adversaries from using space-based assets during a crisis. In March, the Chinese government said it would open up its lunar exploration program to companies rather than simply relying on the state-owned sector as before, hoping to boost technological breakthroughs."
While I can only assume you are joking, isnt it insightful that the US DoD thinks it should raise issue with the Chinese having a space presence, when all they are doing is playing a long delays game of catch up to the US?
Surely by the same interpretations, the US has already pursued 'activities aimed at preventing its adversaries from using space-based assets during a crisis'?
But no, this is after the CHINESE, not the people who are the defenders of goodness and freedom that is the US of A.
I can only imagine that the Chinese well know that destroying markets for their own produced goods would greatly advance their success..
Oh, wait a moment, that makes no sense at all. Silly me.