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BEIJING: Once China establishes a lunar research station, its astronauts will stay on the moon for long periods of time while conducting scientific studies, state media reported on Sunday (March 14), citing the architect of China’s lunar program.
China has mapped out a series of unmanned missions this decade, including installing a robotic base to explore the moon’s south pole region, before manned landings.
“If the lunar research station project is successfully implemented, China will not be far from achieving manned landings,” said Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program.
Last week, China and Russia signed an initial pact to establish an international lunar research station, but did not disclose a timeline.
READ: Planetary Pact: China and Russia to launch lunar space station
“Compared to American astronauts who were only able to stay for tens of hours after landing on the moon, Chinese astronauts will stay on the moon for a longer period of time,” Wu said.
“This will be a long-term stay on the Moon, not a short-term stop.”
China has successfully launched a series of lunar missions in recent years, including an unmanned recovery of moon rocks last year, the first by any nation since 1976.
READ: Chinese ship carrying lunar rocks returns to Earth: Xinhua
But China still lags behind the United States in experience, knowledge and technology.
NASA plans to return astronauts to the surface of the moon by 2024. NASA’s last manned landing was in 1972.
Chinese rockets currently don’t have enough thrust to send astronauts to the moon, Wu said, but China aims to make progress in rocket design in 2021-2025.
In China’s next mission to the moon, lunar samples from the south pole will be recovered, he said.
Subsequent missions will include a detailed study of the resources at the south pole and testing of key technologies in preparation for the construction of the research station, Wu said.
