China moon survey to focus on energy

(CBC) - China plans to survey the entire moon, looking for helium-3 and other minerals, said Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist for the country's moon exploration project.

Helium-3 has been touted as a powerful and clean fuel source for nuclear energy. It is very rare on Earth and expensive to produce, but is found on the moon.

"The helium-3 reserves on the moon can serve human society for at least 10,000 years," Ziyuan said in a report carried by the official source Chinanews.

China has said it plans to launch an unmanned lunar orbiter later this year. It will take 3-D images of the moon.

The orbiter will be followed by a lunar landing, tentatively set for 2017. The unmanned vehicle will take samples, which will be brought back to Earth for analysis. He described that as the third stage in China's moon project.

China entered the manned space travel club when it put a "taikonaut" in orbit in 2003, and has said it plans to land a person on the moon, although the planned date is 15 years off.