Japan joins an elite club by landing on the moon. What are others doing?

By FOSTER KLUG
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has landed a spacecraft on the moon, an attempt at the world’s first “pinpoint lunar landing.” Saturday’s milestone puts Japan in a club previously occupied by only the United States, the Soviet Union, India and China. A raft of countries and companies are also plotting moon missions. Success means international scientific and diplomatic accolades and potential domestic political gains. Failure means a very expensive, and public, embarrassment.