[Unthinking Majority]

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03245-w

"China successfully launched its Chang'e-5 lunar mission Tuesday to collect rocks from the moon -- the first attempt by any country since the 1970s. The unmanned Chang'e-5 probe, named after the mythical Chinese goddess of the moon, blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan, near the country's southern tip, in the early morning. "

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/24/asia/chi ... index.html

Good achievement for China and a source of pride for the Chinese people. More space competition for the US. This really feels a lot like the US-USSR Cold War.

[Rugoz]

Meh, the moon, not impressed.

Japan launched a probe in 2014 that will return asteroid samples this year, for example. Russia launched a Phobos sample-return mission in 2011, which failed at launch unfortunately.

[Godstud]

USA hasn't been on the Moon, yet. It was done in a movie studio.


China will be the first to Dragon Dance on the Moon.

[Politics_Observer]

@Unthinking Majority

We are already assembling our rocket to put the first woman on the moon Unthinking Majority. Don't worry people, the U.S. is willing to take up the challenge. Plus we have plans to put the first man on Mars. SpaceX is almost ready to start building the first permanent settlement on Mars.

The core stage of the huge rocket being built to take the first woman to the Moon has left its factory in New Orleans for Mississippi, where it will undergo its final testing before its first launch.

The rocket is part of the Space Launch System (SLS) for NASA's Artemis lunar exploration program, which aims to send the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024. NASA officials also hope the SLS will be used to reach Mars and other "deep space destinations."

On Wednesday, the 212 foot long and 27 foot diameter rocket part made a 1.3-mile trip from the Michoud factory in New Orleans to be loaded on to the NASA's Pegasus Barge, which is set to float 40 miles up the Mississippi River to NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/09/us/nasa- ... index.html

Here is more news on SpaceX's plans to build the first settlement on Mars and put the first man on Mars:

SpaceX is almost ready to start building a permanent human settlement on Mars with its massive Starship rocket.

The private spaceflight company is on track to launch its first uncrewed mission to Mars in as little as four years from now, SpaceX's founder and CEO Elon Musk said Friday (Oct. 16) at the International Mars Society Convention.

"I think we have a fighting chance of making that second Mars transfer window," Musk said in a discussion with Mars Society founder Robert Zubrin. You can watch a replay of the talk here.

That window Musk referred to is a launch opportunity that arises every 26 months for mission to Mars. NASA, China and the United Arab Emirates all launched missions to mars in July of this year. The next window opens in 2022 with Musk referring to the 2024 Mars launch opportunity.

https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-f ... -trip-2024

You can check out more info on SpaceX:

https://www.spacex.com/human-spaceflight/mars/

[Deutschmania]

USA hasn't been on the Moon, yet. It was done in a movie studio.


China will be the first to Dragon Dance on the Moon.

Haven't you heard that Nazi Germany colonized the moon , and that the Soviet Union colonized Mars ? Or was that done in a movie studio as well ?

[The American Lion]

I am sorry @Politics_Observer, but you can't really believe everything from what comes out of Musk's mouth. SpaceX has little or no chance of getting to Mars on Private Capital than the US will ever get there. There are no capitalist interested to go to Mars. The moon is a different example for which it has resources to exploit. China on the other hand can play the long game and just focus on science.

China doesn't run on ego to see the future of space.

[Politics_Observer]

@The American Lion

We'll see. I believe in Musk. I think he can take us to Mars.

[The American Lion]

@The American Lion

We'll see. I believe in Musk. I think he can take us to Mars.

How much faith has gained anything for mankind? His exploits pretty only to gain his ego, make money, and exploit his workers. Remember Musk was okay with a coup in Bolivia because it would help him. Is this man you would have faith with?

[Scamp]

This pales in comparison to China launching the test virus that went around the world.

I guess their confidence is high now.

[colliric]

USA hasn't been on the Moon, yet. It was done in a movie studio.


China will be the first to Dragon Dance on the Moon.

I hope you ain't doing the usual American crap of confusing Lion Dancing with Dragon Dancing!

Lol.

[Godstud]

I shall respond to that with a song: