China will focus on research on the Moon and deep space, said Luan
Enjie, director of the State Aerospace Bureau, at the ongoing China
Industrial Hi-tech Forum.
His bureau has just launched a project cooperating with its
European counterpart to make breakthroughs in exploring the moon in
the next decade or longer.
The plan was initially made public when the Chinese Government
released the White Paper for China's aerospace development.
Sources with the bureau said China will launch Moon detectors from
Long March carrier rockets on the basis of applied technology
development.
Xu
Dazhe, director of the China Institute of Carrier Rocket
Technology, said the Moon exploration plan is based on China's
improving aerospace technology and the national strength.
China is ranked near the top in the world in terms of aerospace
technology with a full set of carrier rockets, applied satellites
and a related research and development center and production
base.
(Xinhua News
Agency 10/15/2001)