Lunar ambitions for China, Japan, others

China will launch the Chang’e I, a lunar orbiter, in 2007. During its 1 year mission they will engage in imaging and studies of the moon's surface. They will also be looking at the distribution of 14 usable elements on the moon's surface.

Japan's JAXA will also launch a lunar orbiter in 2007. The mission is more extensive than China's mission, however they will be studying very much the same things as the Chinese (surface and subsurface architecture, mineral deposits).

The European Space Agency's SMART-1 recently completed a lunar orbiter mission.