CHINA’S space agency officially announced that the US is a competitor to the moon for the first time.
The shock decision by the China National Space Administration comes after they vehemently declared that they would never compete with the US.
The CNSA said: “It can be predicted that c the next one In 20 to 30 years, China’s International Lunar Research Station and the US Artemis program will be competing.”
Their new lunar plan reads: “[We] will compete in terms of technology and operational efficiency on the same historical stage and in the same geographic location (the south pole of the Moon).”
He continues: “In the historical context of this period, race the demonstration of superior political power made lunar exploration unsustainable,
The plan, titled “Strategic Route Concept for the Development of International Lunar Research Station Resource Utilization,” was unveiled in April.
It was written under the direction of mission scientist Pei Zhaoyu.
Prof. Pei told the South China Morning Post: “Using lunar resources will become the focus of the competition.”
He added: “And countries like United States have no distinct advantage in this.’
The decision marks China’s shift from a secretive to a more open space policy – but Washington has always seen the CNSA as a rival.
NASA big boss Bill Nelson admitted to Politico last year, “The fact is: we’re in space race.
“And it is true that we had better be careful that they do not reach a place on the moon under the guise of scientific research.
“It’s not out of the realm of possibility for them to say, ‘Watch out, we’re here, this is our territory.’
In fact, China successfully launched its Chang’e-6 spacecraft as part of its mission to retrieve new samples from the moon on May 3.
And the monumental moment when China’s space probe landed on Earth carrying the first-ever sample from the dark side of the moon was caught on camera.
China’s Chang’e-6 probe landed safely with intact rock and soil, a mission no other nation has successfully accomplished.
Exclusive footage shows the small, nondescript sack attached to a parachute as it descends towards the grassy Earth, containing the first sample from the ‘dark side’ of the Moon.
The probe landed in northern China in the Inner Mongolia region.
Earlier this month, the Chang’e-6 rover landed on the dark -183C side of the moon before successfully retrieving rock and soil samples, a world first.
The satellite touched down on the far side of the moon after descending from its orbit about 124 miles above the moon’s surface to find a landing site.
During what was called the “Space Race of the 1960s,” the United States and Russia competed to see who could achieve more in space.
The two nations, Russia then the USSR, were also embroiled in the Cold War.
The US thinks it can assert dominance if it is the first to send a man to the moon.
He saw Americans and Russians competing to prove their technological prowess.
Why is the mission of the Chang’e 6 robot so important?
The far side of the Moon, called the “dark side,” has now become the focal point of numerous space exploration programs.
India, Russia, China and the US have all been involved in space exploration of the far side of the moon.
It is believed to be not only a fascinating place for future space exploration, but also a suitable place for lunar outposts.
Scientists believe this may be the most promising location for water-based ice, which will be key to future human habitation on the Moon.
It is also one of the most resource-intensive areas on the Moon. Permanently shadowed areas of the Moon may contain ice and other minerals that would be vital resources for future explorers.
Scientists believe there is an abundance of helium-3 in so-called “cold traps” scattered around the South Pole, which could help produce vast amounts of energy here on Earth.
Mountain peaks near the pole – which are illuminated for longer periods – can be used to provide solar power to an outpost.
With an outpost on the moon, scientists will be able to analyze water and other volatile samples dating back to the formation of the solar system.
For China, the landing of the Chang’e-6 lunar probe is an important milestone that the country will use to expand its space presence on the far side of the moon.
It will use the data collected by the spacecraft to allow Chinese astronauts to set foot on the moon by 2030.
