Although for the leading space players -- Russia and the United States -- planned expeditions are quite natural if not always justified, China's lunar ambition, and indeed the country's entire space effort, fills one with wonder at such an extraordinary display of daring. But lunar programs exist in many countries, and nothing can save our natural satellite from colonization.

The Chinese satellite Chang'e I, designed for lunar exploration, will be put into a round-the-moon orbit in the second half of 2007, Sun Laiyan, deputy director of China's Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, has said.

Replying to visitors to the government Web site, he said: "The satellite is already at the launch site. All preparations will be made on the spot. If everything is OK, it will be launched at the end of the year."

The official stressed "this will be the culmination of a thousand-year-old dream of the Chinese nation." According to Sun, Chang'e I is intended to survey the lunar surface and gather information during the course of its flight.

Its launch will mark the first phase of the Chinese lunar program. In 2012, a lunar rover will be landed on the moon. The third phase plans to bring back soil samples obtained by the automatic research vehicle.

The Chinese link their fond dream with their deep-space cooperation with Russia. At the end of June, the Russian Space Agency, Roskosmos, hosted the third meeting of the joint working group on the moon and deep-space research of the Russian-Chinese space cooperation subcommission.

Yury Nosenko, deputy head of Roskosmos, led the Russian delegation, and Luo Ge, deputy head of the China National Space Administration, headed the Chinese group.

As reported by Roskosmos, a Russian-Chinese system of very baseline radio interferometers using existing radio telescopes and joint moon studies were discussed.

"The meeting outlined further coordination of efforts under these projects," an official release reported. According to Roskosmos, a contract was also signed to cooperate in the study of Phobos and Mars.

Meanwhile, the Japanese have taken the lead in the new millennium's lunar marathon, undeterred by punishment for a false start. On Sept. 14, their H-2A launch vehicle successfully put a lunar probe, Selene, into a near-Earth orbit. The craft is expected to make two circuits of the Earth and then head for the moon, which it will approach 20 days after launch. The probe will enter a lunar polar orbit at the end of October. Two smaller auxiliary satellites were launched together with Selene.

Meanwhile, it appears one need not fly far and away from a cozy home or an office chair to become an owner of lunar prairies. The May issue of the widely read Russian magazine Itogi reported the Israelis have begun buying up land parcels on the moon on the quiet. They are acting through a local firm, Crazy Shop, which is a subsidiary of Lunar Embassy, a company owned by Dennis Hope, an American.

One may harangue at length on the legality of such "land" transactions, but already more than 15,000 Israelis own plots on the moon bought at 250 shekels ($61.89) per 500 square meters.

(Andrei Kislyakov is a political commentator for RIA Novosti. This article is reprinted by permission of RIA Novosti. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.)

-- (United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)

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