China plans to build a base on the moon by 2028 and subsequently land taikonauts on the Earth’s satellite, Bloomberg reports citing Caixin. The lunar base is likely to run on nuclear power. It will consist of a lander, a bunker, an orbiter and a rover. Construction will be carried out by Chang’e missions 6, 7 and 8.
Wu Wei Zhen, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, said in an interview with CCTV that Chinese taikonauts will be able to go to the moon within 10 years. According to him, nuclear energy will be able to meet the long-term needs of the lunar station.
In recent years, China’s space ambitions have grown significantly. The PRC has sent probes to the moon and built its own space station, aiming for Mars.
These plans make China a direct competitor to the US. NASA plans to put its astronauts on the Moon this decade for the first time since the Apollo program ended in the 1970s. The Chinese base is expected to be the first outpost at the Moon’s South Pole, an area that scientists say is the best place to find water. NASA is also targeting this part of the moon. China is aiming to eventually expand the base into an international research station.
Read about the activities of NASA in the development of the Earth’s satellite in the material “Kommersant” “”Artemis” has become closer to the Moon.”
