At least since the legend of Chang'e going to the moon, the Chinese nation has dreamed of landing on the moon to build a new home (Guanghan Palace), and you and I who were born in the world will soon be able to witness the realization of the dream of landing on the moon that has been passed down for thousands of years.
According to CCTV News reported on April 24, Academician Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration project, pointed out in an exclusive interview with the station: "Before 2030, Chinese's footprints will definitely step on the moon." "At the same time, the basic type of the international lunar research station will be built during this time."
In other words, by 2030 at the latest, we will achieve a manned lunar landing, and within 7 years we can realize the dream of landing on the moon that we have been looking forward to for thousands of years. When this goal is achieved, it will surely become one of the symbolic events of the modern Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The basic type of the lunar scientific research station completed at the same time will also become an infrastructure like the continental space station, and it is likely to be manned all year round like the space station.
For every Chinese sons and daughters, this is a joyful thing! But no matter what you do, there will always be some people against it, and many friends may have heard voices from across the ocean, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has twice criticized our lunar exploration and manned lunar landing goals, and on April 20 this year, Nelson advocated to lawmakers at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee: "The United States is engaged in a space race with China, and the two sides only compete, not cooperate." On April 28, Nelson declared: "China cannot be allowed to reach the moon first!" Because "there aren't many places to land on the lunar south pole map" and "China wants to land here as much as the United States," "the United States can't let China land first," so "you need to make sure that the next person on the moon comes from the United States."
How unfriendly is NASA to China's space industry? Everyone has also heard that the Wolf Clause and the Cox Report were formulated for us, and they were all set up under trumped-up conditions to limit the development of our space industry.
But China's aerospace industry with the spirit of unswerving, hard work, independent innovation out of a piece of its own world, our space station has proudly flown in space, Chang'e project has achieved the world's most outstanding lunar exploration achievements this century, and has dug back the lunar soil from the moon, Tianwen-1 first Mars exploration of Mars soft landing success... And so on, it has already made the other side of the ocean feel anxious!
Next, if our manned lunar landing can land on the moon before the United States, then the frustration for the United States and NASA will be very great, so Nelson shouted "China can't be allowed to reach the moon first"! This also reflects the behavior of a certain type of people represented by Nelson who are hostile to our progress and suppress our scientific and technological development.
So, who on both sides will win this moonshot? Can we go to the moon before America and give such people a head-on? This depends on the scientific and technological level and planning preparation of the two sides in the moon landing, and from the existing disclosed information, the United States is currently far more than ours in this regard, which is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
First, it has rich reserves of lunar landing technology and experience.
The first is because the United States has landed on the moon more than 50 years ago, and as many as seven times, has made various attempts, and has rich lunar landing experience and technical reserves, which we do not have.
Second, high-thrust rockets that can land on the moon already have them.
The United States is still far ahead in high-thrust rockets, and now there are two rockets that can meet the needs of manned lunar landings, NASA has the SLS space launch system, the thrust of this rocket is as high as 4200 tons, and the Earth-Moon transfer orbit load capacity is between 26~46 tons (different models), which can fully meet the ability to transport manned lunar spacecraft and cargo lunar landing spacecraft; And its maiden flight, which took place on November 16 last year, was already a success.
There is also Musk SpaceX's Falcon heavy rocket, its thrust can reach 2280 tons, the Earth-Moon transfer orbit load capacity is more than 26 tons, can also send manned spacecraft to the moon, this rocket has been launched 6 times, all successful, indicating that the technology is relatively mature, the rocket is more reliable.
In addition, Musk's SpaceX starship has also carried out its first test flight, although its performance is not ideal, but the test itself is progress, the problems can be gradually solved, so with the continuous test flight, the technology of this rocket will gradually become mature, the rocket will also be more reliable, and the probability will become a rocket that can be used to land on the moon in the next three years.
Third, the Orion spacecraft that can be used to land people on the moon has been developed and successfully tested.
The Orion spacecraft is a new generation of manned spacecraft built by the United States, which can be used to land people on the moon, and completed the first unmanned test flight as early as December 5, 2014, and completed the first test flight around the moon and return test in November ~ December last year.
Fourth, the first combined lunar landing simulation of a new rocket and a new spacecraft has been carried out.
The American SLS rocket, which flew for the first time on November 16 last year, successfully sent the Orion spacecraft used by the Americans to land on the moon to lunar orbit, and successfully returned after completing the mission around the moon, which is considered to have carried out a successful lunar landing simulation exercise, and the first step of its "Artemis program (NASA return to the moon program)" has been successful, which is where it is ahead of us in the specific steps of the lunar landing program.
As in the above four aspects, all reflect the United States' leadership in manned lunar landing, these four aspects we can not compare with, although we also have good lunar exploration achievements (Chang'e lunar exploration series), but manned lunar landing does not have its own experience to follow, technology can only be explored from scratch and gradually improved.
In terms of high-thrust rockets, we do not yet have a rocket that can be used to land on the moon, our largest rocket Long March 5 does not have the ability to transport a spacecraft for manned lunar landing, and the rocket planned for manned lunar landing is Long March 10 (that is, a new generation of manned rocket, 921 rocket), but the first flight date of this rocket is not known, and its flight performance is not yet known, usually after the first flight, it takes many tests to be used for manned launch.
In terms of manned spacecraft, although the mainland's new generation of manned spacecraft has already had a test flight, it has not yet carried out a test flight around the moon, let alone a test flight with a lunar landing rocket. We have not made any attempts at manned lunar landing.
If we judge from the above aspects, it can also be seen that it is difficult for us to land on the moon before the Americans "return to the moon".
It cannot be ignored that we also have an "opponent", that is, Musk's heavy falcon rocket and starship also have the ability to land on the moon, and Musk also has a dragon spacecraft, and its heavy falcon rocket and dragon spacecraft are combined, and then get a lunar module, then he can complete manned lunar landing activities in a short period of time with his own resources alone; Once its starship is successfully tested, it can land on the moon by starship alone, and far exceeds NASA and our current manned lunar landing program in terms of the number and advancement of manned personnel. And Musk and his SpaceX company also belong to the United States, so if the resources he has successfully landed on the moon, it can also be regarded as the success of the United States in manned lunar landings, and if he intends to land on the moon, NASA is afraid that it will be difficult to compete with him.
Therefore, as things stand, the Americans will most likely complete the moon landing again earlier than we do. But nothing is absolute, in addition to high-thrust rockets, our progress in other aspects is not slow, such as a new generation of manned spacecraft has been available, the lunar module used in the manned lunar landing has also been manufactured, the plan and technology of the lunar landing have been relatively perfect, only to wait for the Long March 10 development is completed, can carry out 1~3 unmanned lunar landing tests, if all aspects of the test are relatively smooth and complete, you can carry out manned lunar landing.
So when will this dream come true? Since the chief lunar exploration master Wu Weiren has said that it can definitely be achieved before 2030, then we also believe that this is no problem. The arrival of 2030 is only about 6 and a half years away, and it is believed that in these 6 and a half years, the Chinese nation's thousand-year dream of landing on the moon can be realized.
Source: Guangming Network reported on April 25 "Chief Designer of China's Lunar Exploration Project: Chinese Lunar Landing Scientific Expedition Before 2030"