China Manned Space Agency (CMSA)

China: Logos Unveiled for 3 “Socialist” Space Missions in 2025! (20.1.2025)

According to the CMSA, crews for the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 missions will consist of three astronauts each. Shenzhou-20 is set to dock with the radial port of the space station’s core module, while Shenzhou-21 will dock with its front port.

The main tasks of the astronauts will include extravehicular activities, cargo outbound deliveries via the station’s cargo airlock module, and the conducting of space science experiments and technology tests.

In the second half of 2025, China plans to launch the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in its southern Hainan Province. This mission will deliver supplies for astronauts, propellants to ensure the space station’s operation, various types of payloads, and more.

China’s manned space station project has entered its application and development stage — with two manned spacecraft missions and one to two cargo missions planned annually.

Lunar Magnetic Field

China: Chang’e 6 Samples Shed Light on Lunar Magnetism! (23.12.2024)

They discovered that the Moon’s magnetic field may have experienced a rebound around 2.8 billion years ago, suggesting that the Moon’s generator may have been reinforced after an early sharp decline.

“The reason for this rebound could be a change in the primary energy source of the generator or a restrengthening of the initial driving mechanism,” Cai said.

“The data fill in a billion-year gap in the evolution of the lunar paleomagnetic record and provide the first paleomagnetic measurements from the lunar far side,” a reviewer for the journal Nature said. “The authors are to be congratulated on a historic study that provides a major advance in our understanding of lunar magnetism.”

The evolution history of the Moon’s magnetic field is markedly different from that of the Earth’s, the research team said.

Dark Side Moon

PRC: Lunar Samples Indicate Previous Magma Activity! (19.11.2024)

am lunar soils.

The study published on Science, conducted by a team led by Xu Yigang, an academician of the CAS and a researcher at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry of the CAS, also confirmed magma activity on the lunar far side 2.8 billion years ago.

The study also indicates that the eruption of lunar mare basalt is influenced by the internal composition of the moon, explaining why the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the lunar far side lacks abundant volcanic activity.

“These samples are the first to be collected on the lunar far side so it provided a unique view to the moon’s global geological history. The results are novel and are deserving of publication in Science. They will be of interest to a broad readership,” Science reviewer Katherine Joy said.

PRC Reusable Space Shuttle!

China: Greater Efficiency Space Shuttle! (13.11.2024)

A model of the spacecraft will be displayed at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which opens on Tuesday in Zhuhai and runs through Sunday.

Currently, China has only one model of cargo spaceship, Tianzhou, which is a product of the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing. So far, seven Tianzhou vessels have been launched and six of them were used to transport supplies to the Tiangong space station.

Orbiting Earth at a distance of about 400 kilometres, the Chinese space station has three permanent parts — a core module and two science capsules — and is regularly connected to several visiting crew and cargo spaceships.

It has been manned by eight Chinese crews, including the incumbent Shenzhou XIX team. All of the crews’ living and work necessities need to be transported by cargo vessels.

Lunar Rover Premised on Ancient Chariot!

China: Crewed Lunar Rover Enters Initial Prototype Research & Development Stage! (7.11.2024)

Given that they will not only perform space station missions but also future manned lunar landing tasks, the training curriculum has been designed to focus on essential skills such as living and working in a weightless environment and maintaining health, as well as specialized skills like carrying out extravehicular activities, equipment maintenance and space science experiments. 

Furthermore, the training aims to enhance taikonauts’ capabilities for future manned lunar missions, including operating spacecraft, driving lunar rovers, identifying celestial bodies, conducting geological surveys and transitioning from weightlessness in space to walking under load on the lunar surface, the agency said.

PRC Landing on Moon!

China: Manned Lunar Landing Programme Fully Advanced! (29.10.2024)

The fourth batch of astronauts started training in August, and has so far concentrated on the fundamental theories of manned space engineering and targeted physical training, as well as on-site learning, symposiums and lectures. Subsequently, they will proceed to engage in training tasks of more than 200 specific subjects under eight categories.

The training will also cover a set of skills tailored for life and work on the country’s space station, as well as tasks of extravehicular activities, maintenance and repairs of equipment, and space science experiments, according to Lin.

Now, the two payload specialists from Hong Kong and Macao have become an integral part of the team, and they have exhibited a strong passion for training and maintained optimal physical and mental well-being, said Lin.

The pair of candidates have also received Mandarin courses, and a personalized meal plan has been created to accommodate their dietary preferences, according to Lin.

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