`Exotic minerals` behind China`s obsession with Moon mission

Zee Media Bureau/Ritu Singh

London: Why is China so fixated on the moon? Well this obsession with the Moon is seemingly because of the moon being a `beautiful` source of minerals and energy, as said by a top Chinese scientist. Exotic materials including helium-3 and the potential for solar power could prove invaluable for humankind as described by Prof Ouyang Ziyuan from the department of lunar and deep space exploration. China’s lunar probe project, Chang`e-3 that will be launched on Monday will make it the first soft touchdown on the Moon`s surface since Russian attempt in 1976. Prof Ouyang`s comments and explanations came ahead of this very space endeavour. He further said that the motivations behind the drive to investigate the Moon, is to develop China`s technology for the specific project, and in terms of science there is a need to explore Moon for its origin and evolution to know more about the Earth. Moon is full of resources, mainly rare earth elements, titanium, and uranium, which the Earth is really short of, and these resources can be used without limitation, but getting them now is very costly.