Beijing: China announced on Thursday that it is moving ahead on schedule to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.
China also unveiled its next group of astronauts. This group will depart for its own dedicated space station, which is currently under construction. This mission is part of China’s plan to remain a leader in space.
Spokesperson Said
Zhang Jingbo, spokesperson for China’s manned space program, said, “Currently, all research and development projects related to sending humans to the Moon are progressing smoothly. Projects such as the Long March-10 rocket, lunar landing suit, and exploration vehicle are progressing rapidly. We firmly aim to land a Chinese person on the Moon by 2030.”
Crew Exchanges
China is also continuing regular crew exchanges at its under-construction Tiangong space station. Each crew spends six months aboard the station conducting scientific research. The new crew will include Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang. The team will lift off from the Jiuquan Launch Center at 11:44 p.m. (Chinese time) on Friday. Zhang Lu has previously been part of the Shenzhou-15 mission, while Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang will be traveling to space for the first time.
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The team will also carry four mice, two males and two females, to study the effects of weightlessness and a confined environment. China began work on its Tiangong space station after being excluded from the International Space Station (ISS) program. The US then expressed security concerns about China’s space program’s direct ties to the People’s Liberation Army. Since then, China has begun exploring new possibilities in the field of space.