  Europe launches moon probe The European Space Agency has successfully launched urlLink Smart 1 , the first European mission to the moon. While this is not Europe's first mission beyond Earth orbit, the Smart 1 mission is significant because it uses ion drive, an advanced propulsion system much more efficient than chemical rockets.
Only a few spacecraft have used ion propulsion though it has been known since the 1960s. With NASA grounded, and China soon to launch its first manned space flight, space is no longer exclusively a US-Russian domain. This is good, because it means that progress in space will continue even if one of the major programs is set back. The convergence of US, Japanese, and European spacecraft on Mars next year may be a sign of things to come in space. 
