On April 24, China celebrates Space Day, a special occasion to commemorate the country’s significant achievements in space exploration. As we delve into the highlights of China’s 2023 space missions in today’s article, let’s discover the remarkable endeavours unfolding in the realm of Chinese space exploration.
China’s manned space program has three missions lined up for this year. The crew of Shenzhou-15 is currently stationed at China’s space station and has successfully completed its fourth spacewalk. In June, they will make their return to Earth, marking another milestone for the mission.
May will witness the arrival of Tianzhou-6, a cargo spacecraft, at the space station. Already transported to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan Province, Tianzhou-6 is ready for its journey.
The Shenzhou-16 and Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft are scheduled for launch in May and October, respectively. These missions will dock with China’s space station, creating a combination of three modules and three spacecraft, further expanding China’s presence in space.
Apart from the manned space program, China will continue its research and development for the Chang’e-7 mission, the fourth phase of its lunar exploration project. This ambitious mission, targeted for around 2026, aims to land on the moon’s South Pole to investigate the environment, survey the lunar landforms, and search for traces of water.
China’s planetary exploration project, represented by the Tianwen-2 mission, is also set to continue this year. Around 2025, Tianwen-2 will be launched, and its probe will be deployed on a selected asteroid to collect samples, which will be brought back to Earth.
China has already accomplished various space missions, including satellite launches, the successful deployment of the Long March-11 carrier rocket, and the launches of commercial rockets. These achievements showcase the nation’s growing capabilities in space exploration.
As we move forward in the year, more exciting news and discoveries from China’s aerospace industry are anticipated. Stay tuned for further updates on China’s remarkable journey into the cosmos.
