Many contestants in latest ‘space race’ to the moon

Christian Science Monitor: Many contestants in latest 'space race' to the moon

China, Japan, India, Europe, the US, and Russia are poised to probe Earth's satellite – some with the expectation of extracting lunar resources for national gain.

When the Soviet Union launched a basketball-size satellite 50 years ago this week, it touched off a race for space that became a hallmark of the cold war. It was a two-player game with high technological and geopolitical stakes. It led to the US Apollo program, which placed the first humans on the moon. And it led to the Soviet Union's Mir program, which yielded Earth's first long-duration manned space station.

Half a century later, the world appears to be on the verge of Space Race Version 2.0. The objective: the moon. China, Japan, India, and Europe, as well as Russia and the United States, have either placed themselves at the starting line or are hovering close by. …