CNSA Taking Three-Step Plan For Moon Exploration

China continues to push forward with its ambitious space program... and assert its goals to the global community. On Friday, state media reported Chinese space officials plan to map "every inch" of the lunar surface, before pursuing more ambitious projects.

Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of the China's moon exploration project, made his comments during a conference this week, according to China Daily. He says China's lunar exploration program will be divided into three segments --  orbiting the moon, landing on the surface, and returning samples to Earth.

As ANN reported, the head of the China National Space Administration, Sun Laiyan, said earlier this year the country planned to launch its first lunar orbiter before the end of 2007.

"The moon probe project is the third milestone in China's space technology after satellite and manned spacecraft projects, and a first step for us in exploring deep space," he said.

Unmanned lunar rovers would be used in the second phase, scheduled for around 2012, and for recovering samples of the moon's surface.

FMI: www.cnsa.gov.cn/n615709/cindex.html