China to Land on Moon Around 2017

smooth wombat writes "China has announced that it plans to land on the moon around the year 2017. They also plan to set up a moon-based astronomical telescope, measure the thickness of the moon's soil as well as the amount of helium-3 on the moon. Helium-3 is regarded by some researchers as the perfect non-polluting fuel source. China's first lunar orbiter could blast off as early as 2007, coinciding with its third manned space trip in which possibly three men would orbit Earth in Shenzhou VII and conduct a space walk."

Helium-3 is great and all...

[Krach42]

But since it's a fermion, it can't become a Bose-Einstein Condensate.

Sorry... too much Wikipedia :(

Territorial claims?

[LeonGeeste]

Americans landed on the moon first and put a flag there. How much of it would the government have to cede to China if it also landed there?

Rocket big but penis small! eheh, so small.

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.southparkstudios.com/downloads/display_ sound.php?ep_number=310&ep_name=Chinpokomon&snd=ht tp://images.southparkstudios.com/media/sounds/310/ VERYBIGPENIS.wav&snd_name=We%20are%20very%20simple %20people...%20with%20very%20small%20penis...&sid= f099c8a62abb4ae468048ac6c1e62bec [southparkstudios.com]

Just wait 'til they get there

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait until they arrive and find out it's just a Hollywood set.

China to Land on Moon Around 2017...

[FIT_Entry1]

That's gonna take a lot of dynamite...and who's going to light the fuse?

Mine the moon screw up the environment

[technoextreme]

Let's just mine the moon of it's natural resources. It won't affect the earth in any way or will it... If we take off any sizable chuck of the moon it will affect the tides.

Re:Taking Their Sweet Time

[R3d M3rcury]

"[...] China sits on wast dollar reserves [...]"
 
...which they need in order to pay for their nuclear wessels [imdb.com].

(I'm sorry. I couldn't resist.)

Re:Chinese rail guns on the Moon.

[technoextreme]

They're taking the long view of becoming a super power. And leaving their enemies radiation free.

First country to Alpha Centari wins!!!!! (Someone had to say it)

They just want check...

[Chocolate Teapot]

...that they can see the Great Firewall from space.

Hmmm

[sundancekid503]

I bought many of acres of moon land through the "Lunar Registry". I assume that China will check with me before picking a landing spot? I don't want any of my prime real estate damaged by their rockets.

I didn't pay $32/acre just to let anyone use it. That would be stupid!

So..

[Omnieiunium]

NASA is out-sourcing as well?

So they'll be there first?

[Anonymous Coward]

China - 2017
USA - 2018

not of course counting: Hollywood - 1969

Asians in Space.

[natedog44]

They don't even know how to drive a car, and they're going to land on the moon? Good Luck... Hopefully they don't dent up the ISS while en route =P

Re:Taking Their Sweet Time

[Trigun]

They could just stand on each other's shoulders like they did in the kung fu movies.

Travelling to the moon...

[TheTranceFan]

Travelling to the moon ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations they could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova, and that would end their trip real quick, wouldn't it!

Re:Territorial claims?

[Anonymous Coward]

You guys got it all wrong. China does not need to land on the moon to claim it. They did not set a foot on Taiwan and what's stoping them from claiming it as part of China?

The real agenda...

[TenLow]

They just want to put up a bigger flag than ours. Once they get that done, russia is going to need to put up an even bigger flag.

One day, someone is going to build a flag so big, it will destroy us all.

Re:Chinese rail guns on the Moon.

[Redwin]

Can someone pop into the planing office when they get there, just to make sure. :-)