October 5, 2007—China's second manned spacecraft Shenzhou-6 sits abroad a Long March CZ-2F on the launch tower of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in this undated photo released on October 11, 2005.

Fifty years after Russia's satellite Sputnik 1 launched an international space race, a new era of space exploration is now underway.

The governments of the United States, China, India, and Japan have announced high-profile plans to send humans back to the moon for the first time since 1972.

Chinese officials recently reiterated their intentions to use the Long March and Shenzhou craft to build a lunar outpost by 2020.

Zhang Qingwei, president of the China Aerospace and Technology Corporation, said that given the opportunity China would work jointly with the United States and other space powers to build a global settlement on the moon.

• More Photos in the News
• Today's Top 15 Most Popular Stories
• Free Email Newsletter: "Focus on Photography"