Monday, January 18, 2010

China to launch second Moon probe in 2010

October 2010 is the most probable lift-off time for the Chang'e-2 mission, which will be a lunar orbiter similar to the Chang'e-1 mission launched in October 2007.

This new mission is actually the back-up spacecraft for Chang'e-1. Some of the instruments have been changed, and the spacecraft carries a better camera than its predecessor.

In the meantime, NASA is still gathering data from its own orbiter, LRO.

Expect more discoveries to come from the Moon in 2010.