Tag: China Manned Space Agency

China Announces Plan to Land Astronauts on Moon by 2030

Media Library

China plans to complete a mission to land a person on the moon by 2030, a government official announced on Monday, in the highest-level confirmation of China’s ambitions for a crewed lunar landing. Chinese scientists have previously nodded at a 2030 goal in a less formal capacity; for example, the chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program said last month that a 2030 landing would be “no problem.” “We can clasp the moon in the ninth heaven,” Lin Xiqiang, the deputy director of China’s Manned Space Agency, said at a…

China Maps Out Plans to Put Astronauts on the Moon and on Mars

Chin@Strategy

JIUQUAN SATELLITE LAUNCH CENTER — Thirty years ago, the Chinese government initiated a secret plan for its space program, including a key goal of building a space station by 2020. At the time, the country was 11 years from sending its first astronaut into space, and its space efforts were going through a rough patch: Chinese rockets failed in 1991, 1992, 1995 and twice in 1996. The worst failure, in 1996, was a rocket that tipped to the side, flew in the wrong direction and exploded 22 seconds after launch,…

China to Launch 3 Astronauts to New Space Station: How to Watch

Chin@Strategy

On Tuesday night in China, a rocket as tall as a 20-story building will carry three astronauts toward a rendezvous with the country’s just-completed space station. The mission, which is called Shenzhou 15, will set a significant milestone for China’s crewed space program. Here’s what you need to know about the flight and why it is significant. When is the launch and how can I watch it? The mission will lift off at 11:08 p.m. local time on Tuesday, or 10:08 a.m. Eastern time in the United States. CGTN, China’s…

China Launches Its Space Station’s Third and Final Module

Chin@Strategy

China launched the third and final module of its space station on Monday, a significant step as the country expands its extensive scientific research outside the Earth’s atmosphere. State television broadcast the launch live, showing a rocket roaring into a gray layer of clouds above Hainan Island in southernmost China, with the module aboard. Deng Hongqin, the director of the launch command center, announced after 14 minutes that the module was in orbit. Nearly 59 feet long and weighing 23 tons, the module, called Mengtian, was expected to dock with…

A Tour of China’s Tiangong Space Station

Chin@Strategy

Experiment module Shenzhou crew ship Tiangong space station Tianzhou cargo ship Tianhe core module Experiment module Experiment module Shenzhou crew ship Tiangong space station Tianzhou cargo ship Tianhe core module Experiment module Experiment module Tiangong space station Shenzhou crew ship Tianzhou cargo ship Tianhe core module Experiment module Experiment module Experiment module A new outpost for astronauts will soon be finished in orbit: China’s new Tiangong space station, or Heavenly Palace. Tiangong will be able to support three astronauts, or up to six people during crew rotations. The unfinished station…