China spends Wal-Mart profits – Launches Moon Probe Mission
A Chinese rocket carrying a probe destined for the Moon has blasted into space. A Long March 3C rocket with the Chang’e-2 probe took off from Xichang launch centre at about 1100 GMT. The rocket will shoot the craft into the trans-lunar orbit, after which the satellite is expected to reach the Moon in about five days.
China says it will send a rover on its next mission, and it also has ambitions to put humans on the surface of the lunar body at some future date. The Xinhua News Agency said Chang’e-2 would circle just 15km (nine miles) above the rocky terrain in order to take photographs of possible landing locations.
It is China’s second lunar probe – the first was launched in 2007. The craft stayed in space for 16 months before being intentionally crashed on to the Moon’s surface. MORE
The Chinese space program gets by on around $1.3 billion per year – compared to NASA’s $17.6 billion. With a little more of China’s undoubted financial might behind it, it could deliver a lunar base some time in the 2020s.
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Holte Ender
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But will they do take away’s from there????…and will Sweet and Sour Pork taste the same???? Important questions need to be asked!!!
I could see China sending up a Moon mission and all the astronauts die because they packed all the space meals in that damn plastic packaging that is impossible to open up.
I call it Chinese revenge on Christmas because you have this stuff and it takes a razor knife and a lot of force to open those damn things.