China aims for lunar base after 2020
27 September 2007
China plans to set up a base on the moon after 2020, following a planned series of manned and unmanned lunar missions in preparation for the launch, AFP reported. The purpose of the lunar base is to tap into the potential energy resources of the moon, since the temperatures on the lunar surface are suitable for industrial use, said Ji Wu, director of China's Centre for Space Science and Applied Research. The Chang'e 1 lunar probe, the country's first mission to the moon, is undergoing final tests before launching sometime toward the end of 2007. China's first manned spaceflight came in 2003, when astronaut Yang Liwei successfully orbited the Earth.