New details about China’s space program’s plans to land on the moon emerged Wednesday after the chief engineer of China’s human space agency, Zhang Haglian, presented them to the state-run Xinhua News Agency in Wuhan.
The Asian country does not usually provide more information about its space exploration program, but it is determined to be the second country after the United States to put a man on the moon. Since America also plans to return to the Moon in the next decade after the Apollo program ended in the early 1970s, a kind of competition has developed between the two countries.
The Chinese landing on the moon will take place before 2030, and one of its goals will be preparing for the construction of a future permanent station. The probe and spacecraft will be delivered from the first mission to the Moon on two separate vehicles. The two modules only connected before landing so the astronauts could transfer. After landing, the astronauts will collect material samples and perform science missions on the surface of the celestial body before returning to the spacecraft and leaving the probe to its fate.
According to the news agency, the development of the tools needed to get the job done is proceeding at full speed. In addition to the spacesuits, lunar rover, lander and spacecraft, they are also developing a new launch vehicle, the Long March 10.
Speaking at a meeting on space exploration, Zhang presented the detailed plan that, after studying the Apollo program, is the most economical way to travel to the moon. The official also said that they plan to set up a research station in the future
To carry out continuous and regular research work and technical tests on the moon.
China will also involve international partners in the program: in addition to Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and Venezuela, its largest partner is Russia’s Roscosmos. (In the list of superpowers, the UAE is a cuckoo’s egg, as it also participates in the Artemis program.)
China missed out on the first space race, they launched their first satellite in 1970. But in recent decades, with the rapid development of the country, they have developed their space program with renewed vigor, which is characterized by results coming in quick succession. Since there is no official figure, Euroconsult estimates that $5.8 billion was spent on this in 2019 when a rover was sent to the Moon. A year later, they brought a sample from there, and in the last two years they have built their own space station called the Heavenly Palace.
(CNNAnd South China Morning Post)
