China Plans Exploration of Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Wider Solar System: Chief Designer
China's vision for deep space exploration begins with the Moon and will move to Mars, Jupiter and the wider solar system, according to Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's Lunar Exploration Project (CLEP) and director of China's Deep Space Exploration Laboratory. He introduced the long-term vision for the country's space program in an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN).
"We define the exploration of the Moon and celestial bodies and space beyond it as deep space exploration. The Moon is the starting point. The next focus is on the Moon. Chang'e-7 will land on the south pole of the Moon and search for water. Chang'e-8 will land at the south pole of the Moon and will join Chang'e-7 to form the basic structure of the south pole station on the Moon," said the chief designer.
Wu said China also plans to build the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS)—a larger scale project and longer-term ambition.
"Then we want to build a navigation, communication, and remote sensing constellation centered on the Moon, which we are now studying," said Wu.
"Our next step is a crewed lunar landing. China aims to achieve this around 2030. You see, the symbol of our lunar exploration project is a person's footprint," said the chief designer.
"Deep space exploration also includes collecting and returning asteroid samples, and collecting samples from large celestial bodies, such as Mars, and the exploration of the Jupiter system. Jupiter is the largest celestial body in the solar system except the Sun, and is equivalent to the size of 1,300 Earths. Jupiter and its satellites are a big system," he said.
Wu said missions in the future will be able to send 50 tons of payload per launch to the Moon.
"To realize this deep space exploration, we need rockets and launch vehicles with greater thrust. So we came up with this concept of deep space exploration. The Deep Space Exploration Laboratory is responsible for the launch vehicle with greater thrust, to study the rocket with greatest thrust in the country. Now we can send eight tons of payload to the Moon. In the future, we'll be able to send 50 tons of payload to the Moon per launch," said Wu.
Learn more about China's International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) plans:
https://www.unoosa.org/documents/pdf/copuos/2023/TPs/ILRS_presentation20230529_.pdf
Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 2 minutes, 18 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 9, 2024
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