Tianwen, Chang'e, and Queqiao are no longer slogans for China's aerospace industry, but hot terms in the global aerospace industry. Just last week, China's Chang'e-6 probe ignited a daring rocket and set sail for the far reaches of the moon. This is China's second major space mission to extraterrestrial objects after Chang'e-5.
For ordinary people, the successful implementation of each lunar exploration mission has undoubtedly made the Chinese people feel proud and excited. But under the undercurrent between space powers, the expedition of Chang'e-6 has a hidden mystery, and it is likely to put NASA in an embarrassing situation of passive struggle again.
Do you remember Chang'e-5 four years ago, when it not only successfully collected rocks in the northern part of the moon, but was also the first country on Earth to bring back fresh lunar samples in 44 years, ahead of any other country.
Looking back on that year, this was a milestone event in the process of China's aerospace development. However, a few families are happy and a few are sad, and the brilliant achievements have also made NASA quite embarrassed and helpless.
It turned out that before that, NASA had released an olive branch to the China Space Agency (CNSA). Bill Nelson, then NASA administrator, publicly stated that if China succeeds in collecting lunar samples, NASA will demand that these precious resources be shared, just as the United States shared lunar soil samples collected during the Apollo program with the world.
But who would have thought that NASA's "gluttony" was regarded as an unintentional move by China after all. For a long time after Chang'e-5 achieved its greatest victory, China's space industry has not explained to NASA its plan to share lunar soil. It was not until September 2022 that the CNSA suddenly announced that it would accept applications for lunar soil samples from foreign scientific research institutions, but only for one month.
This is equivalent to playing a harsh joke on NASA. One month is simply not enough for NASA's complex internal approval process. After the initial shame and confusion, NASA had to grit its teeth and apply to China, and finally got a handful of lunar samples.
This reflects the embarrassment of NASA in the game with China, which has repeatedly taken steps but fallen into passivity. In fact, more than 20 years ago, the U.S. Congress introduced a number of laws restricting NASA's cooperation with China, such as the "Cox Report" in 1998 and the "Wolf Amendment" in 2011.
These actions are clearly aimed at China's growing space power in an attempt to prevent China from catching up. However, in the past 30 years in Hedong and 30 years in Hexi, China's aerospace industry has not only not stopped under various blockades, but has taken the opportunity to make a fortune.
The first is the establishment of the Queqiao relay satellite, which has created a precedent for long-range communication relay on the far side of the moon, allowing China to leave an immortal exploration footprint on the far side of the moon and winning the attention of the world in one fell swoop. The United States, on the other hand, can only watch with amazement as China comes up with its own unrealized black technology.
Second, the Chang'e-4 probe successfully landed on the far side of the moon, which broke the long-standing monopoly of the United States in the field of lunar exploration and directly pushed China to the forefront of lunar exploration.
The third is Chang'e-5 and the upcoming Chang'e-6, which will bring a new atmosphere to the lunar exploration industry. Every future space mission will be a major blow to NASA's pride.
NASA has been forced to bow to China under pressure at home and abroad, all because of more than 20 years of stubbornness in turning a blind eye to China's space development. The role of China and the United States has changed dramatically, and China has long since become a leader in the global space industry.
Therefore, Chang'e-6 not only represents China's aerospace industry, but also represents the indomitable will of the whole country. It carries the infinite pride of the Chinese people, and at the same time, it also has a deliberate determination to teach the United States a lesson.
In the future, when Chang'e-6 returns from the far side of the moon to collect rare samples again, what kind of embarrassing role will NASA play at that time? What kind of heroism and fearlessness will China's aerospace spirit once again show? I am very happy to think about it.