MANNED SPACEFLIGHT MOON TOPICS A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z                    HOME ABOUT CATEGORIES SITE MAP COPYRIGHT ADVERTISE CONTACT entire Web this site Moon, future manned programs In September 2005, NASA announced plans to return astronauts to the Moon by 2020. Not since 1972 and the last of the Apollo missions have human beings set foot on our nearest neighbor in space. NASA's new vision, costed at $104 billion, will use technology already employed on the Space Shuttle and a modular spacecraft that has been described as "Apollo on steroids". The Shuttle is to be retired by 2010 in order to pay for its replacement, Orion, which is scheduled to enter service no later than 2014. This vehicle will be shaped like the Apollo Command and Service Modules, but three times larger, and able to carry four astronauts to the Moon at a time. China's lunar ambitions China, too, has hinted that it is planning to send astronauts to the Moon and to establish a lunar base. In 2002, a chief scientist with China's Moon exploration program, Ouyang Ziyuan, said that the country was planning to launch its first mission to the Moon in 2010. He reportedly told the Beijing Morning Post: "Our long-term goal is to set up a base on the Moon and mine its riches for the benefit of humanity." Related categories    • MANNED SPACEFLIGHT    • MOON TOPICS Also on this site: Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living Encyclopedia of History Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site) BACK TO TOP