On Tuesday, December 3, 2013 12:19:03 PM UTC+13, Brad Guth wrote:
On Monday, December 2, 2013 3:58:09 AM UTC-8, William Mook wrote:

On Monday, December 2, 2013 10:23:44 AM UTC+13, wrote:



"China's first-ever mission to land a rover on the moon has begun its







journey to the lunar frontier.















Riding atop a modified Long March 3B rocket, China's Chang'e 3 moon







lander and its rover Yutu toward the moon at 1:30 a.m. Monday (Dec. 2)







local time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the country's







Sichuan province. It was 12:30 p.m. EST (1730 GMT) on Dec. 1 at launch







time.















If the probe continues on track, Chang'e 3 will land on the lunar







surface by mid-December, becoming the first spacecraft to touch down







on the moon in more than 37 years. The moon landing mission was the







former Soviet Union's robotic Luna 24 sample return mission in 1976."















See:















http://news.yahoo.com/chinas-1st-moo...190716529.html







As John Fitzgerald Kennedy said at Rice University in Sep 12, 1962







"Man and his quest for knowledge and progress is determined and cannot be deterred. The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not. And it is one of the great adventures of all time. And no nation, which to expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space. Those who came before us, made certain that this country rode the first waves of the industrial revolution, the first waves of modern invention, and the first wave of nuclear power. And this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space.. We mean to be a part of it. We mean to lead it! The eyes of the world now look into space. To the moon and to the planets beyond."







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouRbkBAOGEw







Katy Lied - Steely Dan - Dr. Wu. - Released 1975 ABC Records







Rewritten in honour of China's and India's launch...







Johnny tried,



but he was crucified,



now we're on the other side



of no tomorrow.







Freedom ends,



and it can't begin again,



just when we've spent



the last paister we could borrow.







All night long,



we would sing that freedom song,



and every word we sang



I knew was true.







Are you with me Dr. Wu?



Our nation's just a shadow



of the one that we once knew.



Are we crazy are we high?



Or just ordinary guys



who have done all we can do?



Are you with me Dr?







It don't seem right.



I've been strung out here all night.



I've been waiting on the taste



space would bring to me.







Merrit Bay,



where the NASA gentlemen sleep all day.



I went searching for a song



Johnny used to sing to me.







Johnny lied,



you can see it in his eyes,



but imagine my surprise



when I saw you.







Are you with me Dr. Wu?



Are you only just a shadow



of a man that we once knew?



Are we crazy are we high?



Or just ordinary guys,



that have done all they can do?



Can you hear me Doctor?



Are you with me Doctor?







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHpoSL-SEhA







ORIGINAL WORDS







Katy tried



I was halfway crucified



I was on the other side



Of no tomorrow



You walked in



And my life began again



Just when I'd spent the last piaster



I could borrow



All night long



We would sing that stupid song



And every word we sang



I knew was true



Are you with me doctor wu ?



Are you really just a shadow



Of the man that I once knew?



Are you crazy are you high



Or just an ordinary guy?



Have you done all you can do?



Are you with me Doctor?







Don't seem right



I've been strung out here all night



I've been waiting for the taste



You said you'd bring to me



Biscayne Bay



Where the Cuban gentlemen sleep all day



I went searching for the song



You used to sing to me



Katy lies



You could see it in her eyes



But imagine my surprise



When I saw you







Are you with me Doctor Wu



Are you really just a shadow



Of the man that I once knew



She is lovely yes she's sly



And you're an ordinary guy



Has she finally got to you



Can you hear me Doctor



No doubt the fly-by-rocket soft-landing and deployment of their rover will be closely monitored by our goons and minions of DARPA, NASA, JPL and ASU..



As for landing upon the physically darkest area of lunar surface should be quite interesting to see those secondary/recoil photons of minerals and raw elements that have to exist as offering UV reactive colors that proper bandpass filters and appropriate imaging with sufficient dynamic range can easily enhance.



Of course gamma spectrometry should not leave any doubt whatsoever as to what that naked surface and even hidden deep under the dust has to offer.

It would be interesting if the Chinese lunar rover landed at one of the Apollo sites - and found no footprints! lol. Even so, I think I understand your meaning. If the lunar surface looks appreciably different than Apollo, that would be interesting. I can imagine China and the US getting into a ****ing contest if there were inconsistencies of any sort between the data...