Ascend: The Return of the Space Race? Moon Comes into View for Rival Powers.

India, US, China, Russia, UK - All Making Plans for Lunar Future

LONDON -- A new race for the moon is underway, with countries around the globe preparing to return man to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972.

India, the US, China, Russia, and even the UK are developing and finessing programmes for a moon landing. Many of these plans are in the early stages, but in its report '2006 Space Year in Review' Ascend, the world's leading provider of information and consultancy to the global aerospace industry, shows the race is clearly hotting up.

The UK is considering joining NASA's current space exploration programme, Project Constellation on a bilateral basis. In 2006, NASA chose the Crew Exploration Vehicle for Project Constellation, selecting a design by Lockheed Martin. With a capsule design resembling the Apollo spacecraft, the craft, called the Orion, is a significant move for NASA away from shuttle-like vehicles.

In 2006, Russia also shelved its proposed mini-shuttle, preferring to concentrate efforts on capsule designs, which have lower development costs and can also be used for lunar missions. India effectively announced it was starting a manned programme when scientists asked for clearance to start work; a moon landing is their eventual aim.

Meanwhile, China underlined its good launch record in 2006. And while there were no manned flights, the Chinese, too, have the moon in their sights. Also waiting in the wings are the Japanese and Europeans; their respective space programmes may have been relatively quiet last year, but they are known to be monitoring events with interest.

"Well, you wait 35 years for a lunar mission, then a whole bunch turn up at once," remarked Gehan Talwatte, Managing Director, Ascend. "All the countries involved are taking the new space race seriously, as recent events in China have shown. With so many trips to the moon in the pipeline they'll all need to work together to avoid the potential for conflict. It's a really exciting time, but it's also something of a surprise that it's taken as long as it has to reinvigorate our interest in visiting our nearest neighbour. There's still a way to go before the countdown reaches zero on any of these plans but they're all lined up on the start line, and the race is very much on."