Japanese Space Agency Shoots for the Moon

The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is proposing an ambitious plan to develop unmanned and manned vehicles to visit the moon, and a lunar base by 2025. The plan would develop a manned lunar vehicle within 10 years, double JAXA's budget to $2.6 billion, and scrap some existing initiatives.

The purpose of a moon base would be to mine for minerals that are rare on earth but possibly plentiful on the moon. The base would undoubtedly make heavy use of nanotechnology and robotics.

Sources: AP (Yahoo!), Spacetoday.net, Futurismic