China to launch probe to the moon in December 2013

China is going to launch it's first lunar probe to the moon in early December of 2013. This is a quote from CNN:

(CNN) -- China is launching its first lunar probe in early December, state-run Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday, just over a decade after the country first sent an astronaut into space.

The Chang'e-3 probe -- which will blast off from a Long March 3B rocket in Sichuan province located in southwest China -- is expected to land on the moon's surface in mid-December, a spokesman for the China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence told Xinhua.

The unmanned mission marks China's first attempt at a soft-landing on the lunar surface and the first soft-landing on the moon since the Soviet Luna 24 probe in 1976.

China also said that they would try a manned mission to the moon before the decade is out.

My question is: If the United States has supposedly already launched six manned missions to the moon, then why wouldn't the Chinese launch a manned mission to the moon instead of an unmanned probe? If the technology to put a man on the moon has been here since the 1960's, why waste time with a probe that moves at a slow pace, when you can put a man on the moon to do the job quicker? Also, why wait till the end of the decade to put a man on the moon? The United States said that they were going to try to go back to the moon in twenty years. If the United States went to the moon six times between 1969 and 1972, why wait twenty years? It makes you wonder if man has even been to the moon at all. I know that all of the supporters of NASA and scientist worldwide will try to make this post seem stupid, but It just doesn't make any since to me. But then again, when does anything that any government of the world does make any since.

reply to post by UndercoverJoe

If the technology to put a man on the moon has been here since the 1960's, why waste time with a probe that moves at a slow pace, when you can put a man on the moon to do the job quicker

I imagine the US didn't hand over all their documents related to the Apollo program to China, but I could be wrong…

^_^

reply to post by UndercoverJoe

I'll make no claims as to what may or may not have happened in the past, as I was not personally there, but all the same I see your point.

China in 2013 is unquestionably more technologically advanced than the USA in the late 60's.

Such things lead a person to wonder...

Getting to the moon is a piece of cake, it's the getting back that's a problem. However, since the US has been there several times, you would think that with today's tech it would be even easier. Yet here we are still using a roman candle to get anywhere...hmmm.

This leaves only 3 possible explanations:

1. The US never did go there and it was all staged.

2. The US did in fact go there but found something that says stay away.

3. The US went there but in the end it's just not worth the effort to return unless very cheap to do so.

Personally I believe the US did go there several times but came across either #2 or decided #3.

Now with China launching an unmanned probe, that suggests they simply do not have the info on how to place a man on the moon. Granted they have better tech than the US had in the 60's but no where near the quality. It may look good on the outside but if it's crap on the inside, all the pretty wrappers does not count for anything. They do not have the in house tech, it all copy and lower quality.

They won't be doing this on their own, they will need major help...so if they do manage the feat you can bet your last dollar that the US put them there since no one else has managed to do so.

reply to post by UndercoverJoe


Probably because humans require additional resources to get to the moon (oxygen and special suits are major, food minimal). At least to me, it seems to be less risk to send a machine up to a planet, because in the end, a machine isn't a human - so if it dies, then they can just send another one). With a human, not only do they have to make it there, but they need to still be alive by the end of the mission (unless of course we are dealing with a one-way mission to mars), and make it back.

Also, humans are somewhat limited on a body like the moon - How long do those oxygen tanks last? With a moon buggy, sure, you can cover more ground. But with a rover, you could potentially keep on going untill something falls apart, even if the space budget drops to 0 (I mean, I doubt anyone would tell the astronauts "Guess what guys, we don't have the money to bring you back, so keep calm and continue to give us images")

Additionally, what I got out of the rest of the article is that this is like a "trial" for a much bigger prize: Mars, or an asteroid. Also, the below snippet makes me believe that what they are workng on is some kind of rover that can "come back" to earth. NOTE: This rover won't be able to come back, but maybe there's a X2 version in the works that can?

The mission will make up the second phase of China's lunar program which includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth. Earlier missions included plotting a high-resolution, full-coverage lunar map.

Link for everyone: Article Link

Go China for at least making an attempt into space, and having a budget to do so!

-fossilera

China's lander touches down tomorrow?

abcnews.go.com...

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