China's space projects: deep space, the far side of the moon and ant robots on asteroids

Chang'e flies to the moon The

Chinese Xinhua News Agency reports on a discussion among experts in the country's space program regarding the further development of this industry and its goals for the coming decades. Among the plans is the expansion of China's presence in space, up to missions to study deep space, with the aim of reaching the first positions in the space race.

At a recent space conference in Harbin, government officials called on engineers to "develop a pioneering spirit." “When exploring previously unknown areas, we should not just follow others. We need to be more creative, ”explained Liu Jizhong, Program Manager for the Moon and Space Research Center.

At the same time, he noted that international cooperation is an important component in space exploration. “Space exploration is a great task for all mankind, and China should take a leading role in this matter, as a major power. We can learn from each other and work together, ”he added.

A group of engineers proposed sending a landing module on the far side of the moon - such an experiment would be the first such experiment for humanity. To communicate the module with the Earth, it will be necessary to create a network of communication satellites located in the lunar orbit.

In addition, the Chinese plan to develop automatic stations that can operate in deep space, as well as engines capable of launching spacecraft into deep space at high speeds.

A serious debate unfolded over whether to explore deep space with the help of robotic stations or send people there. A researcher at the Chinese Academy of Space Technology, Guo Linli, notes that he believes robots are suitable for repetitive, heavy, and monotonous work that is easy to program.

People, for their part, will be able to cope with unexpected tasks and make decisions when faced with unforeseen circumstances. But the task of launching a crew into deep space requires more serious investments and more load-bearing rockets. The cost and risks of manned missions are much higher, so the possible travel locations for astronauts are very limited. So far, only Mars and the nearest asteroids are seriously considered for sending people into space.

Trying to keep up with NASA planning a mission to deliver rock samples from an asteroid, the Chinese are also considering sending robots to nearby asteroids. In this case, we are talking about autonomous robots that can move on the surface. While researchers are leaning towards a model of a pair of six-legged “ants” robots that can explore the surface of an asteroid and overcome obstacles on its uneven surface.

Last year, China conducted a successful mission to launch the Chang'e 5-T1 spacecraft back to the moon. The device managed to deliver samples of lunar soil to the Earth in a special capsule. Next year, the Chinese plan to launch the Tiangong-2 space laboratory into orbit , and in 2020, send the rover to Mars. Earlier it was reported about other scientific space projects of the country .