China has made history by launching its first moon-landing mission from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The Chang'e 3 lunar probe will reach its target by mid-December after covering thousands of kilometers. It is the first attempt by China at a soft landing and the first moon landing by any nation in about four decades. This remarkable moment has been reached after many years of dedicated work. The mission is an extension of Chang'e 1 space mission in 2007 and the Chang'e 2 mission in 2010. The previous trips focused on orbiting and helping engineers to prepare for the final landing.

Read: China's Lunar Exploration Program

The mission aims at studying the moon crust and its outer surface using the Yutu or Jade Rabbit probe which according to local legends is the companion of Chang'e, the moon goddess. Yutu was chosen from a list of 10 names which were initially shortlisted after a vote by nearly 3.5 million people. The Jade Rabbit got 649,956 votes. The name is a reflection of Chinese culture and the peaceful nature of the mission, and it brings together modern science and folklore.

The spaceship will land in the Sinus Iridum or Bay of Rainbows region of the moon where the rover will roll out and roam the moon's surface. If everything goes according to plan and the moon landing is achieved by Dec. 14, then the six-wheeled Yutu will start its journey, powered by solar energy. It is estimated that it will explore an area of 3-10 square kilometers for at least 90 Earth days, or three lunar days. Its tasks include collecting samples, searching for natural resources and drilling to a depth of 30 meters into the lunar crust. Scientists are expecting major gains from the Yutu search mission.

Since the news of the Chang'e 3 launch was released, the international media has been speculating about its real purpose and timing. It is involuntarily being linked with the Indian Mars orbiting mission. Analysts have tried to make comparisons between the Indian and Chinese space expeditions and the Russian-American space rivalry during the height of the cold war period when the two super powers were in competition.

It seems that China is being forcibly drawn into competition with India when the country wants to be bracketed with the U.S. and Russia, the two nations which so far have touched the lunar surface by landing human or robotic missions. China's accomplishment will be to become the first nation to achieve lunar landing since Russia landed its Luna-24 in 1976. Since India is so far not even close to launching a moon landing mission, it would be wrong to compare China and India.

The lunar mission is a costly endeavor, and there will be no quick returns. Only countries with a lot of money and cutting edge technology can indulge in such pastimes. The Chang'e 3 expedition is part of extended program aimed at sending people to the moon by 2030, which will propel efforts to increase China's presence in space and launch further missions. The Chinese are also planning to set up a permanent base on the moon which would serve as launching pad for future expeditions to Mars or other extraterrestrial bodies.

The space trips involve both immense opportunities and danger. China publicly entered the space exploration field in 2003 by sending its first man into space. It was great feat as it was only the third nation to do so after Russia and the U.S.

As more nations are joining the competition to conquer the cosmos, it is important that such missions should be used to promote common human interests and not as tools to start a new cycle of tension between nations. It would be better for countries to pool resources for such missions. Individual efforts may take longer than joint missions.

The writer is a Pakistani columnist.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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