China's 'space dream': A Long March to the Moon and beyond:
The return to Earth of three astronauts on Saturday after six months at China's new space station marks a landmark step in the country's space ambitions, ending its longest crewed mission ever.
The world's second-largest economy has put billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of eventually sending humans to the Moon.
[...] Besides a space station, China is also planning to build a base on the Moon, and the country's National Space Administration said it aims to launch a crewed lunar mission by 2029.
To put their plans into perspective, it is helpful to see where they've come to date.
[...] Soon after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, Chairman Mao Zedong pronounced: "We too will make satellites."
It took more than a decade, but in 1970, China launched its first satellite on a Long March rocket.
Human spaceflight took decades longer, with Yang Liwei becoming the first Chinese "taikonaut" in 2003.
The Chinese made significant progress through the 2010s. The launched their first space station, the Tiangong-1 lab, in 2011, and Wang Yaping, the second Chinese woman in space taught a video class to children from the space module. They launched the "Jade Rabbit" lunar rover in 2013, and the Chang'e-4 rover landed on the far side of the Moon. Since then they've returned rock samples from the Moon, and landed a rover on Mars.
Their current space station is planned for a total of 11 modules and is expected to be in low Earth orbit for at least 10 years.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 18 2022, @08:14PM (2 children)
The parachute they use for a Lunar landing looks like Winnie The Pooh.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Monday April 18 2022, @08:21PM (1 child)
A parachute for a Lunar landing, eh? Interesting concept. Tell me, does it come with its own atmosphere in the can?
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 18 2022, @11:07PM
No silly, that's reserved for the Lunar Helicopters.
(big grin?)
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 18 2022, @08:30PM (3 children)
Great idea, so there will be a good restaurant and laundry there when USA returns.
(Score: 0, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 18 2022, @11:09PM (2 children)
Yeah, but you'll be hungry again in an hour, the health dept. will close it down from time to time, and your clothes will be mixed up with others.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 18 2022, @11:44PM
And don't order a Coke.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 19 2022, @05:35PM
Kinda weird how predictable racists are.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 18 2022, @11:52PM
under lockdown...seems like the whole country will be ready for space like living conditions.
One has to wonder what is going through the minds of the astronauts as they return to a world without a future.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 19 2022, @04:11AM
exact manufacturing, project management that is more then "i just work here" and synergies between industrual sectors that normally don't directly touch each other is prolly what "really" comes out of sending humans to the most hostile and curious environment ...