Germany is planning a lunar orbiting mission by 2013.
Those of us who advocate space exploration have reason to envy Germany. Angela Merkel, the current German Chancellor (head of state), happens to also be a physicist. No wonder then that Germany is going ahead with plans for an unmanned Moon mission by 2013.
There is some controversy because Germany was the first country to successfully use rockets as intercontinental weapons during World War II. I don't think it is really relevant to dredge that up at this point - Germany has since proven itself to be a stable democracy, and we have other countries with rockets to worry about.
What is more concerning, is that this marks a departure from total focus on the European Space Agency (ESA). If Germany begins it's own exploration program in earnest, this could undermine the efforts of the ESA. Hopefully, this won't be the case, and both programs will flourish in tandem.
Another implication is that along with China and the United States, this ramps up the new space race developing around lunar exploration and, possibly, colonization. The United States has already annouced plans for a permanent Moon base.
The orbiter will map the Moon for 4 years, and a robotic lander will follow to take samples of the regolith (Moon dirt).
