China is revving up its plans for its space industry. Over the next five years it has a very ambitious plan that among other things includes a trip to the dark side. Of the dark side of the Moon that is…
This would make sense if you reviewed recent history. There has been much speculation of late as to the extent of space weapons China might have, in particular with regard to their recent (June of 2016) addition to the space around Earth – the Roaming Dragon. The Roaming Dragon is according to the Chinese a space debris removal robot but others worry as they find its maneuverability and many other capabilities troubling.
Conversely China claims to be committed to a peaceful use of space and opposes a space arms race. Considering how much debris is up in space others should not worry - if it isn’t a space debris robot, the space debris may take it down. Considering the ambitious goals that China has for its space agency and the Moon & Mars, it makes good sense to make sure the debris is tidied up as Cina would not want to run into it on their way up!
AVIC, the Aviation Industry Corp, a state owned enterprise involved in China’s plans, intends to help China in its goal of being the first country to land a space probe on the far side of the Moon in 2018, and launch a Mars probe in 2020.
China while late to the party behind the United States & Russia has made a lot of progress in a short time-frame. From conducting its first crewed space mission in 2003, a spacewalk and landing a rover on the moon in 2013 (the first time humans had soft landed anything on the moon since the 1970s) China has shown its desire & ability to succeed.
Now, China plans to achieve something awesome, mankind's first soft landing on the far side of the moon. China is a proud nation that is not given to making hyperbolized statements that it cannot back up so likely we can all look forward to that day – particularly the conspiracy buffs. Think of it – the world could see the far side of the Moon.
Of course, they could find out there IS something up there, wouldn’t that be cool? (Or not, depending!)
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