Japan claims its project is the biggest since the Apollo missions put the first humans on the moon. China, hoping to pave the way for its own manned missions, says its probes will study the lunar surface to help plan a landing.
But the big question right now is not about science — it's who will get there first.
With Asia's biggest powers set to launch moon missions, possibly as early as next month, the countdown is on in the hottest space race since the Cold War.