Then it must attempt an unprecedented launch from the side of the Moon that always faces away from Earth.
Scientists say the Moon’s dark side – so-called because it is invisible from Earth, not because it never catches the sun’s rays – holds great promise for research because its craters are less covered by ancient lava flows than the near side.
Material collected from the dark side may better shed light on how the Moon formed in the first place.
Plans for China’s “space dream” have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping.
US: China using space programme for military aims
Beijing has poured huge resources into its space programme over the past decade, targeting a string of ambitious undertakings in an effort to close the gap with the two traditional space powers – the United States and Russia.
It has notched several notable achievements, including building a space station called Tiangong, or “heavenly palace”.
Beijing has landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon, and China is only the third country to independently put humans in orbit.
But Washington has warned that China’s space programme is being used to mask military objectives and an effort to establish dominance in space.
China aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the lunar surface.
The United States is also planning to put astronauts back on the Moon by 2026 with its Artemis 3 mission.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
