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Space Rivalry

All articles tagged with #space rivalry

China's Chang'e-6 Achieves Historic Lunar Sample Collection on Moon's Far Side

A Chinese spacecraft has successfully landed on the moon's far side to collect soil and rock samples from the South Pole-Aitken Basin, marking the sixth mission in China's Chang'e moon exploration program. This mission underscores the growing space rivalry with the U.S., which also has plans to return astronauts to the moon. The collected samples are expected to provide new insights into the moon's less-explored far side.

via KSL.com|

#change-program #china #lunar-samples

space2 years ago•2 min saved

China's Secret Spaceplane Launches in Sync with X-37 Mission

China has successfully launched a reusable robotic spacecraft for the third time since 2020, as part of its secretive orbital test flights aimed at developing reusable technologies and reducing space mission costs. The uncrewed spacecraft, launched atop a Long March 2F rocket, will operate in orbit for a period of time before returning to a designated landing site in China. The specific technologies being tested and the details of the space experiments were not disclosed. China's development of a reusable spacecraft coincides with the United States' autonomous spaceplane program, the X-37B. The launch of the X-37B was postponed due to weather and technical issues, and China is expected to launch its spacecraft, known as Shenlong, around the same time as the X-37B. The development of reusable spacecraft is crucial for increasing the frequency and lowering the costs of spaceflight.

via NBC News|

#china #orbital-test-flights #reusable-spacecraft

space2 years ago•4 min saved

China-India Moon Rivalry: Did India Really Land on the Lunar South Pole?

China's space agency, the CNSA, announced plans to send an unmanned spacecraft, Chang'e-6, to the south pole of the moon next year to explore the region and bring back rock samples. This move is seen as a potential challenge to India's claim of reaching the lunar south pole with its Chandrayaan-3 mission. The CNSA also plans to launch a satellite called Queqiao 2 to facilitate communication with the moon. The exploration of the lunar south pole is of interest to many countries as it may contain valuable resources such as water ice, which could be used for human colonization.

via Asia Times|

#china #india #lunar-south-pole