Beijing: China unveiled its ambitious long-term space development strategy on Tuesday, outlining plans to launch manned lunar missions, construct a lunar space station, and explore habitable planets and extra-terrestrial life. The blueprint, which covers space research from 2024 to 2050, demonstrates China’s commitment to expanding its space program and solidifying its status as a major player in space exploration.
In recent years, China has achieved several notable milestones in space. It has successfully launched and operated its own space station and conducted a historic lunar probe that retrieved samples from the far side of the Moon for scientific analysis. These achievements are part of China’s broader vision to advance its space capabilities.
The new program, developed by the China Academy of Sciences (CAS), China National Space Administration, and China Manned Space Agency, highlights 17 priority areas across five key scientific themes. One of the most significant initiatives is the construction of an international lunar research station, which is scheduled to be completed between 2028 and 2035, according to Ding Chibiao, vice president of CAS.
The three-phase roadmap outlined in the program will guide China’s space efforts over the next few decades. The first phase, leading up to 2027, will focus on operating the space station, initiating manned lunar exploration, advancing the fourth phase of its lunar exploration program, and pushing forward planetary exploration.
A key objective of the program is the exploration of celestial bodies and exoplanets, specifically looking at their habitability and searching for extraterrestrial life. Other areas of focus include studying the origin and evolution of the solar system, analyzing planetary atmospheres, and detecting exoplanets.
One of the program’s scientific themes, titled “The Extreme Universe,” aims to explore the universe’s origin and evolution, investigate physical laws under extreme cosmic conditions, and examine dark matter and cosmic baryonic matter. Additionally, China plans to conduct studies on gravitational waves, especially medium to low-frequency and primordial gravitational waves, in an effort to understand gravity and space-time.
The program also prioritizes comprehensive Earth-Moon observations, space weather studies, heliosphere exploration, and three-dimensional solar exploration to better understand the Earth’s cycle systems and the Sun-Earth relationship.
China’s space ambitions highlight its determination to lead future space missions and unlock new discoveries in the field of space science.
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