Chinese officials have revealed new details about their manned lunar mission plan. This comes as China aims to become the second nation to send citizens to the moon.
Zhang Hailian, the deputy chief engineer of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), shared the preliminary plan during an aerospace summit in Wuhan on Wednesday, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.
The mission, expected to take place before 2030, is part of a project aimed at establishing a lunar research station.
Zhang explained that the mission will focus on determining the best way to construct the facility, while also conducting further moon exploration tasks and other experiments.
The plan involves sending a moon surface lander and manned spacecraft into lunar orbit using two launch vehicles. The spacecraft and lander will then dock with each other, allowing Chinese astronauts on board to transfer to the lander and descend to the moon’s surface.
While on the moon, the astronauts will collect samples and conduct scientific exploration. They will later return to the lander and reunite with the spacecraft waiting in orbit. The spacecraft will then transport them back to Earth.
Chinese researchers are currently busy developing the necessary equipment, including manned lunar rovers, moon landers, moon suits, and manned spaceships, in preparation for the mission. The number of astronauts planned for the mission was not mentioned in the state media reports, reports Xinhua.
This lunar mission represents the latest advancement in China’s space program, which has achieved significant milestones in recent years.
China had initially lagged behind in the space race, only successfully launching its first satellite into orbit in 1970. By this time, the United States had already landed astronauts on the moon. However, China made progress in 2013 when it successfully landed a rover on the moon. By then, it became the third country to do so.
Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the significance of the space program in making China stronger. Under Xi’s leadership, China has allocated significant resources to its ambitious space program. This includes the historic 2019 mission of sending a rover to the far side of the moon.
China has also made strides in global skies by investing in the aviation manufacturing sector. The country’s first domestically made passenger plane took to the skies in May 2023 in a commercial flight.
The Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (Comac) created this plane with the goal of challenging Airbus and Boeing’s supremacy of single-aisle jets. Comac, which expects to construct 150 planes per year in five years, says it has already received over 1,200 orders for the C919.
China is clearly intent on making a statement in the skies as it seeks to overtake other global economic powerhouses.
