The Chinese may have found a practical use for the moon: as a Death Star for the People’s Liberation Army.
After the recent successful launch of China’s Long March-3B rocket, which carried a lunar rover, a defense expert told the Beijing Times that the moon would be an ideal launching pad for ballistic weapons, the Want China Times reported. Since the moon is the Earth’s natural satellite, weaponizing the celestial body would make its lethality even more versatile.
China is only the third nation to launch an unmanned lunar probe, and it is moving forward with landing astronauts on the moon’s surface by 2030. Its rover is scheduled to touch down on a volcanic crater known as Sinus Iridum on Dec. 14, the Daily Mail reported.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has made no secret of his desire to establish China as one of the world’s dominant players in space exploration.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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