After NASA Artemis launch, China outlines new lunar timeline

IN-DEPTH: Launch of Artemis I mega rocket marks a brand new period of lunar exploration

China and the U.S. aren’t in an area race, per se. NASA has already despatched astronauts to the moon, and China hasn’t indicated that it is attempting to beat the following batch of U.S. astronauts. 

However there may be an undercurrent of competitors — and a recognition that the nations that develop a sustained lunar presence will create the norms for managing its assets, together with frozen water that is believed to be on the South Pole, which may very well be used to make rocket propellant.

NASA launched an uncrewed spacecraft to the moon on Nov. 16, and the capsule is presently orbiting the moon.

In line with China Central Tv, the nation plans to launch a mission in 2025 that might retrieve samples from the far aspect of the moon and return them to Earth. Then in late 2026, it might launch a mission in search of water on the moon’s South Pole. Subsequent launches would put together China to construct a world lunar analysis station, which it hopes to finish by 2035. 

China Day by day, citing the identical official, mentioned the nation might ship folks to the moon round 2030.

RELATED: NASA set for third attempt at launching Artemis I mega rocket, marking a brand new period of lunar exploration

China has already accomplished robotic missions to the moon. It landed a rover on the far aspect of the moon in 2019. And in 2020, a separate mission collected and returned lunar soil.

NASA is working to return astronauts to the moon via its Artemis Program. The Artemis I mission that launched Nov. 16 will likely be adopted by Artemis II, a crewed mission across the moon, in 2024. Then Artemis III is slated to land the primary girl and particular person of colour on the moon in 2025.

andrea.leinfelder@chron.com