China plans to build a scientific outpost on the moon’s surface, and they’re about to it with absolute class.
The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the moon, and this historical event took place on July 20, 1969.
In fact, there have been six manned moon landings between 1969 and 1972. All of that was half a decade ago. To date, the United States is the only country in the world to have successfully conducted manned missions to the Moon, with the last departing the lunar surface in December 1972.
If we had the means and technology to travel to the moon, land astronauts on its surface, and bring them safely back home fifty years ago, why have we not returned to the moon’s surface?
While both Russia and the US don’t seem too interested in the moon, China, a country that has made incredible advancements in spaceflight in recent years is eager to travel to the moon.
However, the Chinese not only want to put a man on the moon, but they also want to construct a lunar outpost as well.
Members of the Chinese space industry announced on April 24 that Beijing plans to build a manned research station on the moon, reports China Daily.
“We believe that the Chinese nation’s dream of residing in a ‘lunar palace’ will soon become a reality,” the administration said in the video.
The Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) presented a video in Harbin (Heilongjiang, China) in which it showed different achievements and explained its initiative to build and operate that facility on the surface of the moon.
That lunar station would have multiple ‘space cabins’ interconnected by tubes that would provide oxygen to its occupants and basically work relying on solar energy.
Wang Liheng, a senior space scientist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told China Daily it has become the consensus among Chinese space researchers that a manned lunar station is necessary so scientists can deepen their lunar research and explore ways for the exploitation of lunar resources.
“The first step, our researchers suggest, will be sending our astronauts to the moon to perform short-term explorations,” said Wang, referring to a manned lunar program, which has been called for by Chinese scientists for a long time.
Although the CNSA did not reveal a timetable build their so-called ‘lunar palace,’ reports added that the Chinese Space agency intends to explore the two lunar poles.
This is the first time that China has declared in public that it plans to build a habitable lunar outpost.
“The mission will enable us to discover what we haven’t known about the moon. Moreover, we can take advantage of the far side’s shield against Earth’s interference to make clearer observation into the deep space,” added Wang.
But since these Chinese don’t want to stop with going to the moon, it is reported that in the long term, the Chinese lunar outpost could serve as a launch pad to travel to Mars.
So, while other parts of the world are busy trying to figure out the war in the middle east, Asian countries are working towards the future, creating kick-ass projects that will benefit humanity in the long term.
Kudos to the CNSA.