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                       China Launches Moon Rover Mission

   China says the launch of its first robotic mission to the moon`s
   surface has been a success.
   The Chang`e-3 lunar probe, which includes the "Jade Rabbit" rover
   buggy, blasted off early Monday from the Xichang Satellite Launch
   Center in China`s southwestern Sichuan province.
   The probe is scheduled to land on the moon in mid-December to explore
   the lunar surface. China is aiming to become only the third nation to
   carry out a lunar rover mission, following the United States and the
   former Soviet Union.
   Online reactions to the launch from the Chinese public were mixed.
   One user of the Weibo micro-blogging platform said the mission is a
   matter of national pride. (http://weibo.com/u/1740806194) "It is an
   exciting news that China successfully launched Chang`e 3. I still
   remember the launch of China`s first satellite Dongfanghong. ... I am
   proud of my country."
   But some question why Beijing is spending so much on its space program.
   One user said he had other priorities. (http://weibo.com/u/2393557531)
   "I don`t care about Chang`e 3, 2 or 1. What I care about is whether I
   can afford to go to doctor when I am sick."
   Australia-based independent Asia space analyst Morris Jones says this
   mission is ambitious.
   "Landing on the moon is going to be tricky. The moon is fairly
   treacherous terrain. There is no pilot on board, and so it is going to
   take a lot of skill by the onboard computer to steer the vehicle to a
   safe landing."
   This craft is expected to make a "soft" lunar landing, which was last
   accomplished by the Soviet Union in 1976. "Hard" crash landings are
   easier, and China crashed a craft into the moon in 2009.
   President Xi Jinping has said he wants China to establish itself as a
   space superpower, and the mission has inspired widespread pride in
   China`s growing technological prowess.
   The RAND Corporation`s Scott Harold told VOA`s Victor Beattie the space
   program underscores China`s technological nationalism.
   "It is definitely a part of the Chinese government`s efforts to show
   that they are coming of age. They are really increasing their
   technological sophistication and they`re playing on a very big stage."
   Beijing aims to establish a permanent space station by 2020 and
   eventually send someone to the moon.
   In 2007, China launched its first moon orbiter, the Chang`e-1, named
   after a lunar goddess, which took images of the surface and analyzed
   the distribution of elements.
   The lunar buggy was named the Jade Rabbit, or "Yutu," in a public vote,
   a folkloric reference to the goddess`s pet.
   (VOA`s Victor Beattie contributed to this report from Washington.)
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/china-launches-moon-rover-mission/180
   1974.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/china-launches-moon-rover-mission/1801974.html