Japan Outlines Plan to Put People on Moon

Japan’s space agency mapped out a plan Wednesday to send astronauts to the moon by 2025 as a first step toward exploring the solar system.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, is asking that its budget be increased from $2 billion a year to roughly $2.6 billion. By comparison, NASA’s annual budget is about $16 billion. Over the next decade, JAXA’s plan calls for scientists to develop robots and nanotechnology for surveys of the moon and to design a rocket and space vessel capable of carrying cargo and passengers. By 2015, JAXA will review whether it’s ready for human space travel and possibly building a base on the moon.