What is China’s plan to set foot on the moon by 2030?

China is determined to be the number one space power Competing with America. In addition to successfully launching his crew into space called Tychonauts, he also tests new rockets, capsules, and even his own space station. To put his shoes on the moon and beyond.

“By 2030, Chinese people will definitely be able to set foot on the moon. That’s not a problem,” Wu Weiran, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, confirmed to Chinese broadcaster CCTV on April 18. “China is already working on the hardware needed to take astronauts to our natural satellite. The country is developing a next-generation rocket to launch a crewed spacecraft. Work on the new lunar lander”, added the expert on space issues.

China made its first manned mission to the moon in 2013. Almost three years ago, it launched the Chang’e 5 mission – the name refers to the mythical Chinese goddess of the moon – which allowed them to collect their first lunar soil samples and mark a milestone: in July 2022, it was delivered. First definitive and real-time confirmation of water signal in basalt rocks and soil by spectral analysis taken in 2020.

The discovery was verified by laboratory analysis of samples returned to Earth by the lander in 2021. In scientific research published in , the Chang’e-5 team determined where the water came from Natural communication.

China’s progress has taken giant steps in recent years, considering it approved a lunar exploration program in 2004, which it achieved in just 15 years, i.e. 2019. To land one of their own ships on the dark side of our satellite, cWith the Chang’e 4 probe, it accomplished a world first. He managed to reach Mars for the first time with his Tianwen-1 probe, becoming the third country after the United States and the defunct Soviet Union to land on Mars.

While the US has already tested its new SLS rocket on the Artemis I mission in 2022, China is developing a new rocket in 2027.

China is considering building a permanent base on the moon, called the International Lunar Research Station, which is slated for construction in the 2030s. The first steps for this ambitious project include Robotic missions to the Moon’s South Pole use 3D printing technology to create bricks from lunar soil.

“Questions about whether we can build a house, make bricks and have access to communication services on the moon are believed to be verified by experiments. Chang’e 8, which will guarantee future large-scale lunar science explorationWu described a robotic mission scheduled to launch in 2028. Its goal will be to search for reusable resources on the Moon. They could be used to build a lunar base. For this, the space probe will analyze the soil’s mineral composition on-site and confirm whether technologies such as 3D printing can be implemented, the official newspaper said. China Daily.

“If we want to stay on the moon for a long time, we need to establish stations using the moon’s own materials,” confirmed Wu Weiran, a scientist at the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Last year it became known that China plans to launch a “manned mission” to the moon within the next five years, according to a State Council document. administrator), according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

While studying the technology aimed at building ships and rockets to carry his Tyconauts to the Moon, China has focused on building its own space station to test long-term human stays in space.

After years of testing and work, the Asian giant already has its Tiangong space station in orbit, a new technological marvel already in the making. To compete with the senior International Space Station (EEI), which has already completed 23 years of uninterrupted human existence at an altitude of 400 kilometers.

After a complete overhaul of its crew, it made headlines in February when two members of the Chinese space station crew made their first extra-vehicular mission, during which they installed new components of the orbital platform. Crewmen Fei Junlong and Zhang Lu installed the expansion valves on the block Mengtian Laboratory under the supervision of Deng Qingming, his partner aboard the ship.

According to the Space Agency for Managed Missions (AEMT), the mission was a “success”. The last addition to Tiangong’s structure was the Mengtian Observatory, which resembles the letter T and already had two modules -Tianhe and Wentian-. Tiangong is capable of housing three astronauts for six months or six astronauts during shift changes.

The Chinese space station, which means “Heavenly Palace” in Mandarin, is planned to orbit about 400 kilometers above Earth’s surface for about 15 years. In 2030, when the ISS retires, it will become the world’s only space station. An initiative led by the US and Europe has vetoed China’s access to its space program because of its military ties.

China is also looking for partners for its space station. “International Lunar Research Station built by China It is open to international partners. We welcome the participation of developed countries like USA and European countries. We hope that BRICS (an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries and some developing African countries will also join us,” Wu said. “We have proposed an initiative for everyone to sign contracts, agreements or strategic agreements of intent,” he concluded.

Among other space objectives proposed by China, it became known The orbiting station will house a powerful space telescope called Xuntian It is expected to be launched by the end of 2023. The lab will operate in an orbit similar to Tiangong, and will be able to refuel, upgrade or repair by docking with the space station.

In the field of space tourismYang Liwei, the first Chinese astronaut, explained earlier this year how Tiangong could accommodate space tourists. The ISS will retain its funding after receiving new space tourists in 2022.

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