It is clear that China’s space ambitions extend beyond Earth. In fact, the Asian giant wants to be the first country to establish a permanent presence in the solar system and has formulated a long-term plan to explore, colonize and exploit the various celestial bodies orbiting around it. the planet Sol. A true pioneer in space conquest, it has released a map of four levels. Its mission is to provide the resources needed to expand across the entire solar system between now and 2100.
In the face of pushback from other powers such as the US, Europe, Russia and Japan, and the emergence of new ‘space nations’ (such as India or the United Arab Emirates), Chinese scientists have proposed taking the lead. As announced on August 19, Wang Fei, a senior scientist at the China Institute of Space Science and Technology, is ready to explore, extract and economically exploit water ice and other mineral resources beyond Earth.
According to the newspaper South China Morning PostWang Fei told a crowd China Space Association, thanks to rapid advances in space technologies, economic exploitation of resources beyond our planet will soon move from the Moon to deep space, including Mars, the asteroid belt, and even the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. This move, according to Wang, could play an important role in economic competition between countries in a few years.
A program in four stages
The four-stage initiative is named Tiangong Kaiwu (Exploitation of Nature’s Creations), the title of an encyclopedic work by Ming Dynasty scientist Zhang Yingxing, and aims to develop a space economy in China. and other parts of the world. The plan proposes to develop strategic mineral resources, use extraterrestrial water ice as fuel, build transportation and supply nodes, and establish a space resource development system.
“A ‘Great Space Age’ involving the use of space resources, like the wonders created by the Great Age of Navigation… will create the next wonders in human history and bring new prosperity to our civilization.
The scientist, who is also a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained that the project involves using the gravitational balance points between different celestial bodies (Earth, Sun, planets…) and installing platforms and assembly and infrastructure there. So they gradually become expanding nodes.
As the Morning Post reports, for the past three years Wang and his team have been exploring both the general possibilities and the technologies needed to ‘make better use of deep space resources’. The plan included building facilities that could use water ice from the moon (which would guarantee water and oxygen for colonists and fuel for ships). But not only that, these facilities will be built on Mars, near-Earth asteroids or in the main belt, and even on Jupiter’s moons. Together, these facilities would form a true resupply system spanning the entire solar system.
According to the plan outlined by Wang, these facilities could be placed at the Lagrange 1 point between the Earth and the Moon (where their gravity balances, allowing the bases or satellites to be unattracted by either celestial body). , as well as at other gravitational fixed points between the Sun, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter. Specifically, in addition to L1 between the Earth and the Moon, the project will establish routes and supply chains using gravitationally symmetrical nodes at the L1 and L2 points between the Sun, Earth and Ceres, and the L1 points between the Sun and Jupiter.
Tiangong Kaiwu will require an enormous resource infrastructure, including distribution stations, transportation routes, mining and processing stations. The focus should be on access to space, a low-cost delivery system to Earth, and advancements in many key technologies. The general objective will be to improve capabilities for the development and use of commercial and large-scale space resources. All this, according to Wang, will be achieved before 2035 to 2100.
A treasure in space
Of the approximately one and a half million asteroids in our solar system, about 700 are closest to Earth and are worth an estimated $100 trillion each. Taking into account technical feasibility and profitability, 122 of these asteroids are estimated to be economically suitable for mining and exploitation.
The implementation of the scheme is still in its first phase. In fact, China will launch its Tianwen 2 robotic probe in 2025, with the goal of collecting samples from near-Earth asteroid 2016 HO3 and bringing those samples home.
Later, in 2026, the Song 7 spacecraft is scheduled to land on the moon’s south pole, the same region where Russia’s Luna 25 spacecraft recently crashed and landed a few days later. India’s Chandrayaan to search for water and ice A water purified for drinking water, purified to extract oxygen and used as fuel for future astronauts’ long stays.
Finally, the Asian giant has opened up its ambitious project to private enterprise, and several companies, such as New Origin Space near Beijing, have already joined the effort and developed technologies that would allow for immediate space mining.
However, Tiangong Kaiwu is still a preliminary project and has not addressed many issues such as budgets, hardware, technical and economic feasibility, legal issues related to the space agreement, and resource utilization.
However, the plan outlined by Wang Fei could be considered the next step in a path that China has been following steadfastly for years. A path that hopes to become the dominant force in space within a few decades.
An ambition with science and technology as its cornerstones. On the one hand, China wants to improve knowledge of the solar system, carrying out scientific missions to planets, asteroids, comets and moons. On the other hand, it tries to develop the technical skills required to build and operate space infrastructures such as orbital stations, lunar platforms and interplanetary ships.
To achieve these results, the Asian Giant Path will have several stages, each with its own objectives and challenges. The first, spanning from the present to the 2030s, focuses on confirming its presence in Earth’s orbit and on the Moon. To this end, China plans to complete its own space station, Tiangong, as a base for conducting scientific and technological experiments. It plans to send several robotic missions to the moon to explore the lunar surface, collect samples, and prepare the ground for future manned missions. Also, China plans to launch a space telescope that will observe the universe more precisely and precisely.
The second phase, which runs from 2030 to 2050, focuses on expanding China’s presence beyond the Moon. At this point, China aims to send astronauts to the moon and establish a permanent base that will serve as a support point for exploring other parts of the solar system. It aims to send space probes to Mars, Venus and Jupiter, as well as some asteroids and comets of scientific or economic interest. Likewise, the Asian giant is planning the development of a nuclear propulsion system that would allow it to accelerate its space travel and reduce the risks associated with cosmic radiation.
The third phase, which runs from 2050 to 2100, is aimed at consolidating China’s dominance in the solar system. China aims to send humans to Mars and establish a permanent colony capable of housing thousands of people. It plans to exploit the mineral and energy resources of asteroids, comets, and the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and to create artificial habitats that can accommodate more people.
China’s plan is ambitious and risky, but it is feasible and, of course, profitable. In addition, it benefits from the competitive advantages that space offers, such as the abundance of raw materials, lack of territorial limitations, and the possibility of innovation without restrictions. China’s project, if successful in its execution, will not only satisfy its internal needs, but also project its external influence and guide the future of mankind.
