China’s manned spaceflight agency has launched a tender to build a satellite for topographic exploration of the Moon. Its operation could be useful in terms of preparing astronauts to return there. And, quite possibly, the landing will not be where everyone has expected so far.
China’s lunar satellite
While passions are raging around the U.S. Artemis lunar program as to how promising it is, the People’s Republic of China is preparing to send people to our moon. At least, that’s how the announcement of a tender for the lunar satellite project can be understood. It was published on February 14 on their page by the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO).
Applications will be accepted until March 8. After that, the satellite design will just begin. However, no one is going to stretch this process for decades. According to China’s current plans, the landing of its astronauts on the Moon should take place by 2030.
Obviously, the new satellite must enter orbit even earlier. It will be designed to study topography, geologic features and minerals. Simply put, the Chinese will be looking for a mineral prospect that is safe to land on.
Low latitudes
There are two interesting points in the CMSEO announcement. The first is that the new satellite is supposed to study the moon’s surface at low latitudes. This means that its attention will be drawn to areas near the equator. The orbit itself may be highly inclined, or even pass through the poles.
All this is rather strange considering that China has previously stated that it plans to land on the South Pole of our moon, as in the case of the American Artemis project. However, it is now possible that astronauts will land near the equator.
In general, up to now, all of China’s automatic vehicles have landed on the Moon in the middle latitudes. The first landing at the pole is not scheduled until 2026. This is to be done by the Changye-7 vehicle, which will take new rock samples. Which makes sense, given that the station, which is claimed to be international, will most likely still be built at the pole.
China’s open space
The second point that is important in CMSEO’s announcement is the open competition itself. However, it is open conditionally enough. Foreign companies are not allowed to join it. But it’s still a very strange change compared to the way things are usually classified there.
In general, China has been commercializing its space program for a long time. Private (as private as anything private can be in China) companies have been launching rockets for years. However, serious missions have only been handled by government agencies so far.
However, China is no longer the loner in space exploration that it was in the early stages. This is evidenced by the Pakistani lunar rover that will launch aboard Chang’e-8.
In general, the Chinese are very pleased with the progress of their lunar program. According to specialists, work on both the lunar spacecraft and the landing module continues. Work is also underway on the Long March 10 super-heavy rocket and its launch complex.
According to spacenews.com
