China's moon-mining dream called pie in the sky
Cost of extracting and transporting mined materials would far exceed value, experts say, raising doubts about one purpose of moon mission
China's moon rover will survey for minerals on a dusty, barren crater named the Bay of Rainbows, but experts say there may be no pot of gold on the earth's natural satellite.
Luan Enjie, a senior adviser to the country's lunar programme, told state media that the ultimate aim was to use the moon as a "springboard" for deep space exploration.
Commentators believe doing so would require a base on the lunar surface.
The moon is also believed to hold uranium, titanium, and other mineral resources, as well as offering the possibility of solar power generation.
Even the seemingly far-fetched prospect of using the moon as a facility from which missiles could be launched against "hostile military targets on earth" was raised by the Beijing Times newspaper, citing "relevant experts" at a state body.
As various scenarios are discussed on the country's popular internet message boards, the Yutu rover is analysing minerals while crawling across a 400-kilometre-wide plain known in Latin as Sinus Iridum, or the Bay of Rainbows.