NASA Says China Could Be First to the Moon
No, don’t worry - this isn’t some kind of alternative history. We’re actually talking about being the first country back to the moon’s surface.
Nasa plans to launch a manned Orion lunar mission by 2020. However Nasa head Dr Michael Griffin told the BBC that China could get there first - if they wanted to. China has said that it currently has no plans for such a project but that an eventual Chinese manned lunar misison is “inevitable”.
The discussion reflects a possible future trend in space exploration. As public interest and spending decline in the West, countries such as China and India are advancing rapidly.
If a manned spacecraft ever does reach the stars, Americans and Europeans may have to be content to tag along as passengers.
Photo Credit: Rhys Jones (Creative Commons)