DailyTech's Friday edition of the International Space Update
The days of having two dominant space programs in a head-to-head battle has officially ended. A number of nations, with Asian nations quickly accelerating their space programs, has grabbed the attention of analysts and curious space lovers alike. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is the latest nation that is getting serious about lunar studies.
JAXA wants to launch its first lunar orbiter this summer, with the SELENE space probe also expected to conduct a number of other studies while in space. The much-delayed probe is said to be the largest lunar mission since NASA's Apollo space program. JAXA will locate one satellite in orbit about 60 miles above the moon and deploy two smaller satellites to the moon's polar orbits. The satellites should help collect data to figure out the moon's origin.
Japan's future goals include a lunar landing and possible manned missions to space.
The expanding Chinese space program hopes to launch Chang'e 1, a lunar probe named after a Chinese goddess who flew to the moon. The Chang'e 2 is a space probe that researchers hope will be able to examine the surface of the Moon.
China has a space program that is growing fast enough that NASA officials have gone as far as to say that China will beat the U.S. back to the moon.
South Korea is a nation with a lesser known but expanding space program. In 2000, the nation began construction on a rocket launch site that cost up to $300 million. The country plans on launching a small satellite into orbit on top of a Russian rocket sometime in the near future.
The Indian space program has also been expanding recently the past several years. The nation hopes to launch its modest Chandrayaan-1 moon mission sometime late this year or early next year. The Indian Space Research Organization also recently announced that it is ready for the commercial launch of a foreign satellite, a big step in attempting to legitimatize their space program.
Several nations also plan on attempting to establish lunar colonies.
"Nowadays you can buy a CPU cheaper than the CPU fan." -- Unnamed AMD executive
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