China reveals plan to send people to the Moon by 2030

In the new mission, the orbiter and lander will be launched into space and work together to land astronauts on the Moon.

Illustration of astronauts planting the Chinese flag on the Moon. Photo: 3DSculptori/Stock/Getty — Illustration of astronauts planting the Chinese flag on the Moon. Photo: *3DSculptori/Stock/Getty*

Zhang Hailian, deputy chief engineer of the China Crewed Space Administration (CMSA), revealed new details of the plan to send humans to the Moon at an aerospace summit in Wuhan on July 12.

The mission, scheduled to take place before the end of 2030, is part of a larger project to establish a research station on the Moon. Zhang said the mission will explore the best way to build the station, explore the Moon and conduct various experiments.

The mission will involve two rocket launches that will send the lander and the manned spacecraft into lunar orbit. The pair will dock, and the Chinese astronauts on board will then board the lander – the vehicle used to land on the lunar surface. On the moon, the astronauts will collect samples and conduct scientific exploration. They will then leave the lander, rendezvous with the orbiting spacecraft and use it to return to Earth.

In preparation for the mission, Chinese researchers are working hard to develop all the necessary equipment including spacesuits, manned rovers, spacecraft and landing stations. It is not yet clear how many astronauts are expected to be sent to the Moon.

The manned moon mission is the latest step in China’s efforts to develop its space program. Although it was late to the space race – it didn’t put its first satellite into orbit until 1970, after the US had already landed astronauts on the moon – the country is developing rapidly.

In 2013, China landed a robot on the Moon, becoming the third country to do so. In 2019, China became the first country in the world to land a spacecraft on the far side of the Moon. In 2020, it continued its success by becoming the third country to collect lunar samples.

China has also spent the past few years building its own space station, called Tiangong. The main T-shaped structure of the station was completed in November last year. When the International Space Station (ISS) is "retired", expected in 2030, Tiangong could become the only operating space station in Earth orbit. China also hopes to open the space station to international cooperation, ready to conduct experiments from other countries.

Thu Thao (According to CNN )

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