China Opens Lunar Mission to International Cooperation
China, with the goal of becoming a major space power by 2030, has announced that it is opening up a key lunar mission to international cooperation. The mission aims to set up a permanent habitat on the south pole of the moon. This decision comes as mission deadlines approach, and China welcomes countries and international organizations to join its efforts.
Mission-Level Projects for Joint Exploration
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced at the 74th International Astronautical Congress in Baku, Azerbaijan that it is inviting international partners to participate in its uncrewed Chang’e-8 mission. This collaboration will allow for the launch and operation of spacecraft, spacecraft-to-spacecraft interactions, and joint exploration of the lunar surface.
Interested parties are also invited to “piggyback” on the Chang’e-8 mission and deploy their own modules once the Chinese spacecraft lands. To be considered, interested parties must submit a letter of intent to the CNSA by December 31. The final selection of proposals will be made in September 2024.
Building Foundations for the International Lunar Research Station
The Chang’e-8 mission is a crucial step in China’s plan to establish the Beijing-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) in the 2030s. It will follow the Chang’e-7 mission in 2026, which aims to search for lunar resources on the moon’s south pole. Together, these two missions will lay the foundations for the construction of a permanent outpost on the moon.
China has already made significant progress in lunar exploration. The country deployed an uncrewed probe, Chang’e-5, to the moon in 2020 and plans to send another uncrewed probe, Chang’e-6, to the far side of the moon in the first half of 2024 to retrieve soil samples. With the goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030, China’s timeline aligns with NASA’s Artemis program.
China’s Lunar Ambitions and NASA’s Artemis Program
NASA’s Artemis program aims to put U.S. astronauts back on the lunar surface in December 2025. The program’s timeline and goals are aligned with China’s lunar ambitions. On the Artemis 3 mission in 2025, two U.S. astronauts will land on the lunar south pole, a region that has never been visited by humans before. The last time a human set foot on the moon was in 1972 during the U.S. Apollo program.
However, due to U.S. law, NASA is prohibited from collaborating with China directly or indirectly. China’s lunar station program has so far secured participation from Russia and Venezuela. In contrast, NASA’s Artemis program has gained support from 29 countries, including India, which successfully landed a probe near the moon’s south pole in August. These countries have signed the Artemis Accords, a pact crafted by NASA and the U.S. State Department to establish norms of behavior in space and on the lunar surface.
China and Russia are notable absentees from the agreement. Nonetheless, international cooperation in space exploration continues to be a significant focus for China, as it aims to expand its reach beyond Earth’s atmosphere. The invitation for international partners to collaborate on the Chang’e-8 mission is a testament to China’s commitment to advancing space exploration as a global endeavor.
In conclusion, China’s decision to open up its lunar mission to international cooperation reflects its ambition to become a major space power by 2030. The Chang’e-8 mission, along with previous and upcoming missions, will contribute to the establishment of a permanent habitat on the moon’s south pole and pave the way for the construction of the International Lunar Research Station. As China and NASA’s Artemis program pursue their lunar ambitions, the future of space exploration promises exciting opportunities for collaboration and scientific advancements.