China Embarks On New 5 Year Mission To Explore Space And Moon

This week the government of China has committed itself to a new five year plan for manned space travel and a lunar landing. While the Chinese program so far is roughly comparable to that of the early 1960's Mercury program of NASA, and certainly has a long way to go with technology to achieve at least a three man vehicle for a lunar landing, the program is still an ambitious one.

While NASA seems stalled with the Space Shuttle program, and a planned return to the Moon is planned for the future, it is still many years away. China's program is so far just not as well developed with only a one man space vehicle so far, when a three man vehicle similiar to the late 1960's Apollo project is required with a Command Module and a Lunar Lander vehicle.

Some myths claim that Russia once atempted a failed Lunar landing that resulted in failure. But no evidence suggests that this really took place. However, China has had a long history of development of technology such as gunpowder, fireworks, rockets and other devices that gives important clues that they have both the knowledge and willpower to eventually make a space vehicle work that can land on the Moon and return safely. Their pride as a nation seems to be at stake, and they may well become the second nation to achieve a successful lunar landing.