BEIJING: The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Thursday that China intends to actively enhance the utilisation and progress of its space station, along with its manned lunar exploration programme, in 2024.
According to China Central Television, this steadfast approach aims to strengthen the nation’s aerospace capabilities.
Currently, various tasks in the phase of application and development of the space station are progressing as planned. Additionally, various research and development tasks for manned lunar exploration missions are also progressing smoothly.
Since entering the application and development phase of the space station, the China Manned Space (CMS) has completed two cargo resupply missions, two manned spacecraft launch missions, and two spacecraft return missions.
At present, the three astronauts now aboard the space station are in good physical and mental condition and expect to return to Earth in April.
Crew members for the upcoming manned space missions, Shenzhou-18 and Shenzho
u-19, have been selected and are currently undergoing intensive training, said the CMSA on Thursday.
A total of 150 in-orbit science research and application projects have been implemented, involving space life science and human body research, microgravity physics and space technologies, and multiple achievements have been made.
Meanwhile, to achieve the goal of China’s first manned landing on the moon by 2030, various research and development work for the manned lunar exploration programme will be intensified in 2024.
At present, the Long March-10 rocket, the manned spacecraft Mengzhou, the lunar lander Lanyue and the moon-landing suit are all in the prototype development stage.
The new carrier rocket Long March-10, using liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and kerosene as propellants, is mainly developed for the purpose of sending spacecraft and moon landers into the Earth-moon transfer orbit.
Source: Emirates News Agency