ANNOUNCED IT HAS LANDED A ROVER ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON.
ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON. TOM COSTELLO COVERS SPACE FOR
TOM COSTELLO COVERS SPACE FOR US.
US. >> Reporter: IT’S A BIG DEAL FOR
>> Reporter: IT’S A BIG DEAL FOR SCIENTISTS AND FOR CHINA WHICH
SCIENTISTS AND FOR CHINA WHICH IS PLANNING A MANNED MISSION TO
IS PLANNING A MANNED MISSION TO THE MOON IN THE COMING YEARS.
THE MOON IN THE COMING YEARS. YOU’RE RIGHT.
YOU’RE RIGHT. SOME PEOPLE CALL IT THE DARK
SOME PEOPLE CALL IT THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON.
SIDE OF THE MOON. THAT’S A PINK FLOYD ALBUM.
THAT’S A PINK FLOYD ALBUM. THAT’S NOT SCIENCE.
THAT’S NOT SCIENCE. THIS IS THE SIDE OF THE MOON WE
THIS IS THE SIDE OF THE MOON WE ON EARTH DON’T SEE AND HUMANS
ON EARTH DON’T SEE AND HUMANS HAVE NEVER LANDED THERE BEFORE.
HAVE NEVER LANDED THERE BEFORE. >> FOR THE FIRST TIME, A LANDING
>> FOR THE FIRST TIME, A LANDING ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON.
ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON. THIS EXTRAORDINARY PICTURE SENT
THIS EXTRAORDINARY PICTURE SENT FROM A CHINESE ROVER OPENING UP
FROM A CHINESE ROVER OPENING UP A NEW CHAPTER IN MOON
A NEW CHAPTER IN MOON EXPLORATION.
EXPLORATION. THE PROBE NAMED AFTER THE
THE PROBE NAMED AFTER THE CHINESE MOON GODDESS CARRIED
CHINESE MOON GODDESS CARRIED INSTRUMENTS TO ANALYZE THE
INSTRUMENTS TO ANALYZE THE UNEXPLORED REGION.
UNEXPLORED REGION. THE CRATER WHERE THE CHINESE
THE CRATER WHERE THE CHINESE LANDED IS THE OLDEST AND DEEPEST
LANDED IS THE OLDEST AND DEEPEST ON THE MOON.
ON THE MOON. THE DISCOVERY MAY OFFER INSIGHTS
THE DISCOVERY MAY OFFER INSIGHTS INTO HOW THE MOON CAME TO BE.
INTO HOW THE MOON CAME TO BE. SOME SCIENTISTS SUSPECT THE AREA
SOME SCIENTISTS SUSPECT THE AREA AROUND THE CRATER MAY BE RICH IN
AROUND THE CRATER MAY BE RICH IN MINERALS.
MINERALS. IT’S ALSO CARRIES POTATO AND
IT’S ALSO CARRIES POTATO AND PLANT SEEDS AS WELL AS SILK WORM
PLANT SEEDS AS WELL AS SILK WORM EGGS FOR THE BIOLOGICAL
EGGS FOR THE BIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS.
EXPERIMENTS. SEEN AS A BIG MILESTONE AS SPACE
SEEN AS A BIG MILESTONE AS SPACE EXPLORATION AND PROPAGANDA
EXPLORATION AND PROPAGANDA VALUE.
VALUE. ONLY CHINA, RUSSIA AND THE U.S.
ONLY CHINA, RUSSIA AND THE U.S. HAVE MANAGED SOFT LANDINGS ON
HAVE MANAGED SOFT LANDINGS ON THE MOON.
THE MOON. THIS IS THE FIRST TO TOUCH DOWN
THIS IS THE FIRST TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE SIDE THAT ALWAYS FACES
ON THE SIDE THAT ALWAYS FACES AWAY FROM EARTH.
AWAY FROM EARTH. AND WHILE CHINA IS FLEXING ITS
AND WHILE CHINA IS FLEXING ITS SPACE MUSCLES, THE U.S. HAS ALSO
SPACE MUSCLES, THE U.S. HAS ALSO SET A SPACE RECORD.
SET A SPACE RECORD. NASA THIS MORNING RELEASING THE
NASA THIS MORNING RELEASING THE FIRST PHOTO OF THE MOST
FIRST PHOTO OF THE MOST DISASSISTANT OBJECT HUMANS HAVE
DISASSISTANT OBJECT HUMANS HAVE EVER EXPLORED.
EVER EXPLORED. A MYSTERIOUS BODY ON THE FROZEN
A MYSTERIOUS BODY ON THE FROZEN FRINGES OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM 4
FRINGES OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM 4 BILLION MILES AWAY.
BILLION MILES AWAY. THERE WAS A FLY BY ON NEW YEAR’S
THERE WAS A FLY BY ON NEW YEAR’S DAY, A MILESTONE CHEERED BY THE
DAY, A MILESTONE CHEERED BY THE NASA TEAM ON EARTH.
NASA TEAM ON EARTH. >> TOM, YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE
>> TOM, YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE SPACE RACE.
SPACE RACE. HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THIS FOR
HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THIS FOR CHINA?
CHINA? >> Reporter: WELL, IT MEANS
>> Reporter: WELL, IT MEANS THEY’VE ARRIVED.
THEY’VE ARRIVED. THE CHINESE LAUNCHED MORE
THE CHINESE LAUNCHED MORE ROCKETS THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY
ROCKETS THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY LAST YEAR.
LAST YEAR. THEY HAVE ANOTHER LUNAR PROBE
THEY HAVE ANOTHER LUNAR PROBE MISSION SET FOR THIS YEAR.
MISSION SET FOR THIS YEAR. THEY’RE BUILDING THEIR THIRD
THEY’RE BUILDING THEIR THIRD SPACE STATION.
SPACE STATION. THEY’RE PLANNING TO PUT HUMANS
THEY’RE PLANNING TO PUT HUMANS ON THE MOON WITHIN TEN YEARS OR
ON THE MOON WITHIN TEN YEARS OR SO.
SO. THEY’D LIKE TO PUT A COLONY ON
THEY’D LIKE TO PUT A COLONY ON THE MOON AND THEY’RE DEDICATING
