China's moon landing: a game Chang'er

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/14/china-successful-moon-landing-power

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The success of China's Chang'e 3 moon mission landing is to be welcomed as a scientific triumph. Placing a package of instruments safely on the lunar surface has been achieved by only two other nations, the US and the former Soviet Union. As an illustration of its flourishing technological expertise, China could not have done better – though the vast investment required to achieve this goal raises an obvious question: why travel to the moon at all?

There are several answers. For a start, the moon is rich in minerals that could one day provide us with key materials that have become depleted on Earth. The moon is also a good place to test technologies needed to explore other, more distant worlds. These are both good reasons to make lunar journeys, though neither was central to China's motivations. Its prime goal was far simpler. In Chang'e 3, it has shown the world, and Asia in particular, that it is now a comprehensive technological power. For a nation that has begun to flex its military muscles, its presence on another world perfectly demonstrates its national prowess. We should take note.

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