China plans mission to put a man on the Moon

[Guest Boo_Bradley]

China Eyes Experiments for

Moon Mission

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to conduct

experiments related to a moon landing, a

senior science official was quoted as saying

on Sunday, just days before the country is

expected to launch its first manned space

flight.

 

"China will continue to develop its space

exploration plans. At a future time, China will

carry out lunar landing and flight experiments,"

Wang Shuquan, deputy secretary of the

Commission for Science, Technology and

Industry for National Defense, was quoted as saying.

 

The report on the Web site of the semi-official China News service

(www.chinanews.com.cn) said Wang had mentioned China's plans to put a man

in space, but gave no details such as the exact date of the launch.

 

China is expected in the next few days to become only the third country to put a

person into orbit after the former Soviet Union and the United States.

 

State media have been highly secretive about the launch, but speculation is

widespread it will be during or shortly after the week-long National Day holiday,

which began October 1.

 

China's long-term space plans are believed to include an unmanned probe to the

moon, followed by a manned lunar mission, analysts have said.