China and Solar System Exploration
Budgetary and technical constraints have heretofore hindered Chinese aspirations of solar system exploration. In 1992 a senior Chinese official indicated his country's desire to participate in planetary missions, particularly to Mars. The PRC played a very minor role in the Russian-led Mars-98 mission.
By 2003 China had prepared plans to accelerate a mission to Mars using its lunar program to acquire experience and the technicians necessary to be united to the elite of space nations. Although the scientists affirm that a sounding to Mars still will take years, already are making the plans. "We at the moment do not have a chronology for a sounding to Mars but a project as this one would benefit from the efforts of the country in preparing a mission to the Moon", Liu Zhenxing, an expert of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said. The program would consist of three phases: to orbit, to descend and to return from Mars. First stage would consist of the shipment of a orbiter that would analyze the space atmosphere. The following phases would imply robotic explorers to collect rocks.
The Chinese space authorities confirmed that they did not plan to send a probe to Mars before the year 2015, but to continue the exploration of the Moon through 2020. Luan Enjie, Administrator of the Chinese Space Agency (CNSA) has said that planetary exploration could be part of the projects that would be carried out within the decade after 2010.
According to its declarations, the project will be known like "2-1-1". The "2" makes reference to two models: the construction of satellites in common platforms and the modularización of the launching vehicles. This way, whenever it is wanted to accomplish some mission, it will only be necessary to construct to the instruments since the platform is already designed and constructed . The modularización means to have a variety of launching systems that can be combined in the each most suitable mission, to diminish costs and to increase the reliability.
The first "1" represents a unified system of earth facilities, where all the communications with the missions are made and the stations of reception of data and communications are grouped. The last "1" represents the exploration of other planets in the Solar System.
How far Chinese scientists will advance in deep space is not immediately known. But one thing is certain: They will conduct exploration of Mars besides the ongoing lunar mission. "In the coming five years, China will, on the basis of its moon probes, plan deep-space exploration, focusing on lunar and Martian exploration," Sun Laiyan, chief of the China National Space Administration, said July 20, 2006. Sun's remarks at the 36th Scientific Assembly of Committee on Space Research in Beijing appeared to be the first time a Chinese official has announced that the nation's space programme would include Martian probes.
Long Lehao, a senior space scientist with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said at the Conferences that Chinese rockets were capable of sending a satellite to orbit any planet, including Mars. "If the government makes up its mind to start the mission to Mars now, I think we could send an orbiter to Mars in three to five years," Long, also director of the Science and Technology Committee of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, told China Daily. China's Long March rocket is capable of catapulting a 2.8-ton probe into orbit around Mars, Long said.
Wu Ji, Director General of National Space Science Center, speaking at the 2011 International Forum on Planetary Sciences and Exploration held from October 18 to 20, 2011, said, “in the future, the Mars Exploration will be deepened and Chinese Academy of Sciences is leading the pre-study of future Mars exploration scientific objectives and the payloads. China is establishing its own deep space exploration network and we do have the capacity. The next Mars exploration will be absolutely on our own, while international partner will be invited into the play, making contributions to the exploration of the solar system.”
“2011 International Forum on Planetary Sciences and Explorations” was held in Bejing from November 18 to 20, 2011, with exchanges on geological research achievements made while exploring the Moon and the Mars, discussion on methods and theories regarding deep space exploration, as well as recommendations for future planetary exploration as its themes. This forum was co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC), and organized by the Energy and Mining Engineering Academic Division, CAE, China Geological Survey (CGS), MLR, General Office for China’s Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, CAS, as well as Commission of Science and Technology, CASTC jointly.
The government's plans for the next five years were outlined in the white paper issued on 30 Decemberf 2011, China's Space Activities in 2011. "China carries out deep-space exploration in stages, with limited goals. Based on the idea of "three steps" orbiting, landing and returning for continuing lunar probe projects, China will launch orbiters for lunar soft landing, roving and surveying to implement the second stage of lunar exploration. In the third stage, China will start to conduct sampling the moon's surface matters and get those samples back to Earth. China will conduct special project demonstration in deep-space exploration, and push forward its exploration of planets, asteroids and the sun of the solar system."
China's plans for deep-space exploration included two Mars missions and one Jupiter probe. China plans its first Mars probe by 2020, Wu Yanhua, vice director of the China National Space Administration said 30 January 2017. A second Mars probe will bring back samples and conduct research on the planet's structure, composition and environment, Wu said. Also on the agenda are an asteroid exploration, and a fly-by of the Jupiter system.
As of 2020 China was understood to be planning a Mars sample return mission, a Jupiter orbiter and considering possible missions to icy giants and interstellar space. A joint near-Earth asteroid sample return and comet rendezvous mission had also been proposed.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
