Another giant leap for mankind

Abstract

Three spacecraft are currently orbiting the Moon, Chang'e-1 from China, Kaguya from Japan and Chandrayaan-1 from India. The American Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will join them later this year. Russia is developing lunar rover hardware, for itself and for other countries. In Europe, both Germany and the UK are contemplating their own lunar missions, both outside the boundaries of the European Space Agency, to which they both belong. China and India are discussing the idea of sending manned missions to the Moon within the next decade or so. The Moon has once again risen to the top of the space agenda worldwide.