China plans to lay the groundwork for high space achievements; Including a crew mission to the moon and a study of the planet Jupiter. The move strengthens another technological battlefront between the US and China, the world’s second-largest economy, becoming a space superpower in the coming years. China had several significant successes in space over the past few years:
In 2020, China completed Beidou; A global navigation system created from a network of satellites. Beidou is a competitor to the US government-owned global positioning system, GPS. In 2019, China released a spacecraft on the moon’s dark side for the early time. In December, a Chinese spacecraft returned to Earth from the moon with samples of lunar rocks, the first for the country.
Last year, China began work on its space station and sent astronauts there. In 2021, China also launched a spacecraft to Mars. China is only the second country to land on the Red Planet. The first was the US. With these achievements, Beijing wants to strengthen the game. China’s top executive body released a white paper last week; Which reflects recent successes and goals for the period 2021 to 2025; As part of the country’s five-year development plan.
Beijing wants to upgrade the spacecraft it uses. Also, conduct more research on reusable missiles. Develop advanced satellites for affairs such as carbon checking in the atmosphere. Also, research the next generation of Baidu. Launch Xuntian, the space telescope, and complete your space station. Focus on creating new technologies, such as autonomous spacecraft management and cleaning up space debris, has become an enormous problem.
China’s Future Plans
China said it would continue research. It also plans to land the crew on the moon and develop a new spacecraft for essential missions. The plan also says China wants to work with other countries to build a research station on the moon. However, Beijing looks beyond the surface of the moon. Scientists want to finish research on catching samples from Mars and research them. China also wants to lay the groundwork for the study of Jupiter. Last year, the country announced that it plans to send a crew to Mars in 2033; Also build a base there.
According to the State Council, the development of satellite technology can help the more digital behavior of businesses on Earth; it also has economic benefits. This could facilitate the development of new companies, including space tourism and biomedicine. China said it would continue research into “space physics,” which includes searching for other vital planets. Beijing also schedules to use its space station lunar and Mars probes for research.
Conclusion
The US and China are locked in a technological battle for dominance in everything. Their political differences are already emerging in the space arena. One example is last year’s disagreement over an agreement between the two nations. The deal, led by NASA, creates rules around responsible and fair space exploration. China did not register while other countries did. China said it would work with other countries from global governance to crew space flights in the five-year plan.
Within the UN, China will be actively involved in shaping international rules on space. It will also work with other countries to address the challenges of ensuring the long-term sustainability of space activities. China has also said it engages in dialogue with Russia, the United States, and other countries on global space governance.
