Operational Chinese moon bases could be operational by 2030.
A China Central Television (CCTV) report recently mentioned that the country plans to put Chinese astronauts on the surface of the Moon by 2030.
China is an active competitor in the new Space Race and already has plans to start building its lunar bases during a mission around 2028.
China Lunar Mission Details
The CCTV report, citing statements from Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, stated that the Chinese people could and will put Chinese boots on the Moon by 2030 without any issue, per Space.com.
To put Chinese astronauts on the Moon, China is developing a next-generation rocket to launch an upgraded crew spacecraft and working on a lunar lander of its own. This new rocket is scheduled for a test flight in 2027; the spacecraft has already undergone testing through an uncrewed mission.
The moon lander China is working on isn't anything confidential - the country has been going at it since early 2023, when China first revealed its intention to put Chinese Astronauts on the Moon by 2030, per Space News. China even unveiled a concept for its lunar lander that could make that dream a reality soon.
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While the Moon landers provide a temporary opportunity to stay on the Moon, Chinese experts are also planning to start building lunar bases for more permanent accommodations during a mission around 2028. To do so, they plan on using a robot named "Chinese Super Masons" to make bricks out of lunar soil.
These bases will be powered by nuclear energy, and their basic configuration will consist of a lander, hopper, orbiter, and rover, which China plans to build through its Chang'e 6, 7, and 8 missions.
Weiren previously mentioned that these lunar bases will not only become hubs for lunar exploration but also for China's "strategic needs as a space power."
Ding Lieyun, one of the top scientists at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, mentioned that the Moon might have a source of waste-free nuclear energy that could meet global energy demands for 250 years.
The New Space Race
China isn't the only superpower with dreams to put astronauts and a base of operations on the Moon. The US is also going through its own Moon mission, the Artemis program, to put humanity back on the Moon sometime by 2025, if Artemis 2 is a success, per NASA.
The Artemis 3 mission not only aims to put people back on the Moon's surface again but also to bring the first woman and person of color to the Moon's surface - specifically the region near the lunar South Pole.
NASA is already making headway for its own Moon base through the successful deployment of its CAPSTONE spacecraft, which would be the start of its Artemis Gateway lunar base for lunar and deep space exploration.
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