BEIJING: China plans to send astronauts to the moon before 2030, a space official said.
Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency, said at a news conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China that the country’s space authorities have launched the manned lunar programme.
“The overall goals are to realize China’s first manned landing on the moon before 2030, carry out scientific exploration and related technology demonstrations on the lunar surface, develop a commuting system and short-term stay system for crews, and develop human-robot integrated testing and other key technologies,” Lin said.
“Our astronauts will walk on the moon, collect samples around the landing site and perform some in situ research. This will lead off our manned missions from low-Earth orbit to deep space and help deepen mankind’s knowledge about the origin and evolution of the moon and the solar system,” the official said.
To achieve this mission, Lin’s office has arranged the research and development of all relevant systems, including the new Long March 10 carrier rocket, a lunar landing capsule and a lunar extravehicular suit. New rocket-testing and launch facilities will also be constructed, he added.
Lin said that the agency will publish notices in due course to solicit scientific payloads to be carried during the manned mission, as well as conceptual designs for the mission’s lunar rover.
According to a notice published on the agency’s website on Monday, the manned lunar rover will be able to carry two astronauts and will have positioning, communications and scientific detection functions.
China’s space authorities hope to use manned missions to carry out scientific surveys and technological research, explore ways to develop lunar resources and strengthen it’s space capabilities.
Zhou Yanfei, a deputy chief designer of China’s manned space programme, said the country has the capacity to independently land astronauts on the moon because of its technologies, innovative professionals and efficient research and management systems. — China Daily/ANN
