Beijing: China, which successfully launched its first ever mission to land an unmanned spacecraft on the Moon, has expressed interest in space cooperation with India which has sent its first interplanetary mission to Mars.
The probe Chang’e-3 was launched into orbit on Sunday night from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. The launch came a day after India’s Mangalyaan left the Earth for a 300-day journey to Mars.
Also read - Mangalyaan travelling at 10 lakh km a day
India’s Mars orbiter Mission has overtaken China’s efforts. If successful, India would enter a small club, which includes the United States, Europe, and Russia, whose probes have orbited or landed on Mars.
Chinese space scientists are looking forward to cooperation with other countries, including India, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Li Benzheng, deputy commander-in-chief of China’s lunar programme, told the media earlier that China’s space exploration does not aim at competition.
“We are open in our lunar programme, and cooperation from other countries is welcome. We hope to explore and use space for more resources to promote human development,” the Xinhua report quoted him as saying.
