China Is Planning To Carry Out Mars and Jupiter Missions

Dec, 2020 - By WMR

Chang’e 5’s return to Earth has enabled China plan future space missions with the help of their future probes such as Chang’e 6, 7, and 8.

All eyes were on the Chinese space probe Chang’e 5 which was on a mission to land on the moon and collect rock samples from the lunar surface. The Chang’e 5 completed its mission and landed back on Earth on 16th December 2020. On 17th December 2020, a Chinese official stated that China has plans to carry out more moon missions, build a lunar base and create opportunities for human exploratory missions. This announcement was made by Wu Yanhua, Deputy Chief Commander of the China Lunar Exploration Program on the occasion of Chang'e 5 completing its mission successfully. After collecting moon rock samples weighing around 2 kg, Chang'e 5 landed back to earth on 16th December 2020.

While Wu did not mention any dates regarding a crewed mission for building a base, there are plans for future missions with Chang'e 6, 7, and 8. Wu also stated the future probes will not just collect samples from Mars, but also visit asteroids and other planets such as Jupiter. Wu also added that China will continue to contribute to the human well-being through its space solutions. China's latest mission to the moon was a huge success as the probe managed to collect younger lunar rock samples, compared to samples collected by the Soviet Union between 1969 and 1972.

China National Space Administration has stated that the Chang'e 5 mission was one of the most complex space journeys and the country is proud of the achievement. In the late 20th century, the Soviet Union and the United States were in a race to launch manned space missions, and in 2003 China became the third country to achieve this feat. China's last space mission with Chang'e 5 is the result of teamwork between the European Space Agency, Pakistan, Namibia, and Argentina as they helped in communicating and monitoring the space vessel.