NASA alarmed by Beijing's lunar program
China launches ambitious mission to the far side of the moon amid NASA concerns about a 'space race'. Launch of the Chang'e-6 unmanned aerial vehicle is part of China's efforts to land humans on the surface of the Moon by 2030.
On Friday, China decided to make another attempt to fly to the far side of the moon, the first of three planned in the coming years as part of its goal of landing a man on the lunar surface by 2030.
As The Guardian writes, the unmanned mission " Chang'e 6, if successful, will significantly enhance China's ambitions to put a man on the moon by 2030.
But the mission has also raised concerns among China's archrival, the United States, about Beijing's geopolitical intentions amid what NASA's chief calls a new “space race.”
Since the first Chang'e mission, in 2007, named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess, China made significant progress in lunar exploration, closing the technological gap with the United States and Russia, The Guardian emphasizes.
Without direct visibility from Earth, Chang'e-6 forced to rely on a newly launched relay satellite orbiting the moon during its 53-day mission, including an unprecedented ascent attempt with a "hidden" sides of the Moon on the way back home.
The same relay satellite, as The Guardian writes, will support the Chang'e-7 missions. and “Chang'e-8” uncrewed in 2026 and 2028, respectively, as China begins exploring the South Pole for water and building a rudimentary outpost with Russia, aiming to meet Beijing's goal of sending astronauts to the moon by 2030.
As part of its mission, Chang'e 6 will attempt to take samples from the Aitken Trench at the south pole, the largest and oldest impact crater on the Moon, located on the side permanently facing away from Earth. Experts say these are samples that could answer questions about a significant period of activity in the solar system billions of years ago.
If the mission is successful, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) is expected to share samples internationally, as was done with lunar rocks collected during the 5th Chang'e mission. – the first since the American Apollo missions.
This mission in 2020 confirmed for the first time that China can safely return an unmanned spacecraft from the surface of the Moon to Earth.
China's space program ranks central to the government's overall national strategy and widely celebrated in the country as a demonstration of the country's technological progress.
Beijing's ambitious plans have worried NASA, whose administrator Bill Nelson has repeatedly warned that China will claim any water resources as its own . Beijing says it remains committed to working with all countries to build a “common” future.
Bill Nelson also warned that China is bolstering its space capabilities by using civilian programs to disguise military targets, warning that Washington must remain vigilant.
Recent Comments