Shenzhou-16 will launch at the Chinese space station on May 30. China intends to land men on the moon before 2030, launching a new space race. The U.S. wants astronauts back on the moon by 2025.
At a Monday news conference, Chinese Manned Space Agency Deputy Director Lin Xiqiang affirmed the goal but did not provide a timeframe.
Lin also stated China would add a module to its crewed space station. On Tuesday, the Shenzhou 16 will carry a new three-person crew to the Tiangong station.
First-time civilian crew member. The Communist Party’s armed wing, the People’s Liberation Army, has recruited all prior crew members.
The payload expert is Beijing Aerospace Research Institute professor Gui Haichao.
China completed the Tiangong space station in November with the third module, the Tianhe dwelling and command module.
China became the third nation to launch a human into space in 2003.
China built its station after being barred from the International Space Station due to U.S. concerns about China’s space programs’ close ties to the PLA.
China and the U.S.—the world’s greatest economies and rivals for diplomatic and military influence—are increasingly competing in space. NASA’s 2025 moon mission will target permanently shadowed craters containing frozen water at the south pole.
Both governments are considering permanent crewed outposts on the moon, creating problems regarding lunar rights and interests. China encourages foreign collaborations, but thus far, they have been limited to scientific research because U.S. legislation bans space program participation.
The U.S. and China have placed rovers on Mars and aim to land a spacecraft on an asteroid.
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