On June 1, China successfully launched the rocket Shenzhou-18, carrying a crew of three astronauts to the Tiangong station in Yichang. The rocket took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, confirming China’s extensive aerospace program and plans to reach the Moon by 2030.
The crew onboard the shuttle Grand March-2F includes mission commander Ye Guangfu, a veteran taikonaut, along with his companions Li Cong and Li Guangsu, both former army fighter pilots participating in their first space mission. The team was sent off with applause and is expected to reach the Tiangong station after a six and a half-hour journey.
Upon arrival, the crew will join the astronauts from the Shenzhou-17 mission, who have been conducting research and experiments at the space station. The new crew will perform scientific experiments, spacewalks, and maintenance tasks on the station, including building a self-circulating aquatic ecosystem and cultivating vertebrates in orbit.
In addition to space station activities, China has completed key components for its manned lunar program, including the spacecraft and moon landing module. The country plans to launch two rockets to send astronauts and the lunar module separately to the Moon as part of this project.
China’s space station was built after being excluded from international cooperation on it due to safety concerns. Now that it has its own lunar exploration program underway, China is focusing on developing its capabilities for deep-space exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. In contrast, NASA is working on its Artemis III mission to return humans to the Moon by 2024 as part of its broader human exploration efforts in our solar system. Both countries are advancing their space programs with different priorities but with equal determination towards reaching their goals.