European Smart 1 Approaching Moon... (BBC)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4006293.stm
{

European spacecraft Smart 1 is at the Moon's gateway, the region beyond which the probe is tugged more strongly by lunar gravity than by the Earth's.

/snip

Smart 1 will test a highly efficient solar-electric propulsion system as one of its key mission objectives.

The engine works by expelling a beam of charged xenon atoms - ions - from the back of the probe.

/snip

When it begins its scientific investigations in January 2005, Sm carries an X-ray spectrometer called D-CIXS which will comprehensively map chemical elements on the Moon's surface. This will help scientists test theories of its birth and evolution.

}

Interesting article on the new engine as well as its other good stuff for you science nerds like myself :)

even if it's not us :(

Granted, I'm not a scientist, but this is a science story that you'd think would be bigger than the science world. But the reason most of us probably haven't heard of this is that American media don't give a shit about anything but exclusively American stories, especially when it concerns advances in science made by other countries.

:-)