Deputy Director of the Manned Space Flight Program Office (CMSA) Lin Xiqiang confirmed China's plans to land taikonauts on the moon by 2030. A month ago, this was reported by Veyren Wu, one of the leaders of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP).
Lin also added that China plans to expand its orbital manned space station with an additional module. And a new crew of three people should go to Tiangong station on Tuesday, May 30 aboard the Shenzhou 16 ship — he will briefly keep company with three other Taikonauts already on board.
The new crew for the first time includes a civilian — Gui Haichao, a professor at the leading Beijing Institute of Aerospace Research. All previous crew members served in the country's army.
In November, China completed the construction of the Tiangong Space Station, connecting the third module. Now the country is considering the possibility of creating permanent bases with a crew on the moon. Given similar plans in the United States, experts believe that disputes about rights and interests on the lunar surface will soon begin.
U.S. law severely restricts cooperation between the two countries' space programs, and although China says it welcomes foreign cooperation, it has so far been limited to scientific research.
Recall that NASA plans to send astronauts to the Moon on the Orion spacecraft in 2024 — without landing, and already in 2025 it is planned to land and reach the surface of the satellite.
