Destination Moon

South Korea joined the stampede to the Moon yesterday, with the launch of a lunar orbiter that will scout out future landing spots. The satellite launched by SpaceX is taking a long, roundabout path to conserve fuel and will arrive in December. If successful, it will join spacecraft from the US and India already operating around the Moon, and a Chinese rover exploring the Moon’s far side. India, Russia and Japan have new moon missions launching later this year or next, as do a slew of private companies in the US and elsewhere.