Ann's Blog on Chinas Space Exploration...kinda:

Ann’s Blog #6:

“China aims for the moon” (cnn.com, May 21, 2007)

China plans to launch a lunar orbiter towards the end of the year. This orbiter is called Chang’e I orbiter. If it is successful in fully orbiting the moon, then the next step will be to make a landing. The purpose of the mission would be for the moon rover to collect samples from the moon’s surface. A Chinese member of the National Space Administration is quoted in the article by saying, “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.” In 2003, China became the third country to send to launch a man into space in a rocket. The other two nations being, of course, the United States and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War era. In 2005 they sent two men into space and they plan to accomplish Chinese footsteps on the moon by 2008.

I often change my mind on how I view our country. Don’t get me wrong, I am just a patriotic as the guy next to me, and I will support America to the death, but sometimes I think that we view ourselves too highly. I understand that through the World Wars and the Cold War we became an influential superpower, and I know that we have done a WHOLE LOT of good, especially for being such a young country compared to other countries. I am so proud of most of our accomplishments when I think about how difficult it is to be country containing people. Which sounds dumb, but anywhere there is people there is bound to be some corruption and unneeded drama. And with all things considered, I am very proud to be an American. At the same time I feel as though we stick our noses into other peoples business a little too often. But I can’t be to critical of that because, as far as I know we always do it with the best of intentions. But I don’t think that we can always think that we can fix all of the problems in the world. I know that we are influential, and it also goes along with the whole enlightened self interest idea (to protect ourselves) but sometimes you just need to allow for things to settle out by themselves, without trying to rush and fix the problem expecting immediate results. I guess I’m kind of getting at the War on Iraq, and I have mixed feelings about it, but at the end of the day I don’t think that I am against it. And I think that president bush deserves our full support because it is impossible to get anything accomplished without support. I feel like optimism is all that is needed for success. I know that President Bush is doing all that he can to make the situation in Iraq better and to secure our nation, and I praise him for that. I feel really bad that he will forever be remembered as a President who failed. Yes, there are some things that I think that he could have handled in a better way, but I think that he needs my forgiveness and support in order to make progress. Wowzas I got off on a tangent, but anyway, I think that it is kind of like a slap across the face that other nations are finally catching up to us in things like this. It is enough to worry me and make me say, “golly, politicians you better kick it into high gear in order to not fall behind and all for the ‘American lifestyle’ to remain.” It is crazy, just this year when I was studying the Cold War, I started thinking about it and I found it completely crazy that I had never heard of any other countries landing on the moon. When I was thinking about it, I couldn’t believe that there could have been no other countries landing there. So I was curious and I asked Mr. Donahue and he told me that only Americans had landed on the moon. That made me really admire our country and make me be thankful for being born an American. It is good for China, I guess, that they are making the space exploration deal. But at the same time it makes me jealous and, selfishly, I want them to fail because then I will be able to see America as #1. Those feelings aren’t overwhelming, but there are a few there. I’m not sure if that is some weird form of patriotism, or what, but…that’s my ideas and opinions. Hope you enjoyed my lengthy speal.

Article from:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/05/21/china.moon.reut/index.html
Picture from:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=the+moon&gbv=2