This news is a few weeks old by now, but some of you may not have heard that China landed a rover on the moon! While NASA has stopped their exploration of the moon due to budget cuts, China has been expanding their space exploration program to try to become a major global player.
"China hopes to mount another mission to the moon in 2017 that would collect rock and soil samples. It also hopes to launch a space station by about 2023 and eventually, perhaps, establish lunar bases and send missions into deep space. Its space program has the advantage of consistent funding and top-level political support, and the successful moon landing will ensure that continues, Cheng said."
What blows my mind is that the last lunar landing occurred in 1976 (over 37 years ago!) by the Russians, so it has been a very long time since anything has set foot on the surface.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/china-successfully-completes-first-soft-landing-on-moon-in-37-years/2013/12/14/fad6ffb4-64c6-11e3-af0d-4bb80d704888_story.html
"China hopes to mount another mission to the moon in 2017 that would collect rock and soil samples. It also hopes to launch a space station by about 2023 and eventually, perhaps, establish lunar bases and send missions into deep space. Its space program has the advantage of consistent funding and top-level political support, and the successful moon landing will ensure that continues, Cheng said."
What blows my mind is that the last lunar landing occurred in 1976 (over 37 years ago!) by the Russians, so it has been a very long time since anything has set foot on the surface.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/china-successfully-completes-first-soft-landing-on-moon-in-37-years/2013/12/14/fad6ffb4-64c6-11e3-af0d-4bb80d704888_story.html