Moon Race: U.S. Not Alone in Future Lunar Exploration

[tocqueville]

Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
SPACE.com
Wed Apr 26, 10:00 AM ET

An unprecedented salvo of international probes will soon shoot for the Moon, all equipped to signal that a new era of lunar exploration has begun.

If schedules hold, spacecraft from India, China and Japan will be moonbound before NASA's own Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter swings into action in 2008. Already on duty, the European Space Agency's SMART-1 is wrapping up its survey work.

In the past, having the independent wherewithal to toss a satellite into Earth orbit was a form of space status.

That's passé. Times have changed. Now the Moon is where the action is.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060426/sc_space/moonraceusnotaloneinfuturelunarexploration

[acmavm]

1. And not one country on this Earth is impressed by our poor

nation anymore. Whatever we can do, they can do. And it's getting so that maybe they can do it better. We have to cut NASA's budget down to zip so we can pay for a war of this administration's chosing.

[Steve55]

2. Looks like an opportunity for cooperation

With all this international interest in the Moon, maybe we need to start thinking about joint efforts.

[Ian David]

3. Get ready for GoldenPallace.com Crater on The Moon! n/t

[soothsayer]

4. Everyone wants to be the first to weaponize space.