The exploration of Venus and the attack of Mars, the expansion of human territory is endless. In this long journey, China and India, two emerging powers, are chasing their own space dreams.
From the technical route to the cost input, the two countries' paths to the moon are worlds apart. One pursues independent innovation and spares no effort, and the other strives to be practical and cheap. In contrast, China will undoubtedly occupy a more advantageous position in the future of deep space exploration.
India's "little steel cannon" for the moon landing
A detailed count of India's achievements in the aerospace industry in recent years is indeed impressive. The first lunar orbit was achieved in 2008, and a soft landing on the moon was successfully achieved in 2019, even with a budget of less than $80 million. This efficient and low-cost way of working is really breathtaking.
Compared to China's direct launch method, India has chosen a "detour" flight path. Its probe first enters the Earth's orbit and uses the Earth's rotation to gain enough kinetic energy before flying to the Moon. This seemingly cumbersome approach has become the key to India's low-cost moon landing.
A direct launch consumes a lot of fuel, and a "bypass" can significantly reduce fuel usage. Despite the increased flight time, the price is well worth it. For less than $80 million, India has achieved the feat of a soft landing on the moon, which is a step ahead.
Coupled with India's simplification of the probe design, which only carries out more complex tasks such as landing and sample return, it also greatly reduces the difficulty and investment of the entire project.
This approach of focusing on practicality and cost control is the inevitable choice of India, a latecomer, in catching up with the space power. As a country with a large population, the Indian government has a very limited budget and must achieve maximum results with minimal investment. It can be said that the low-cost moon landing has achieved the rapid development of India's space industry.
China's "Pilot" of Lunar Exploration
Unlike India's pragmatic economy, China's path to the moon was a well-designed, step-by-step process. From Chang'e-1's circumlunar exploration to Chang'e-5's sample return, China's lunar exploration program has a wide coverage and high technical content, which can be described as excellence.
Behind this is China's decades-long investment in basic research. In the field of aerospace science and technology, China adheres to independent innovation and spares no effort in the research and development of various advanced technologies. For example, the use of launch vehicles directly into orbit greatly shortens the flight time and avoids deviations in the process of "detouring". Another example is the sampling and return technology of Chang'e-5, which is a brand-new feat in the history of human lunar exploration.
It can be said that China is pursuing more advanced and systematic technology for landing on the moon. This all-round development from root to application, although the investment is larger, has laid a solid foundation for large-scale deep space exploration in the future. As stated in the article, China will achieve a manned landing on the moon by 2030 and establish a permanent lunar base, and these ambitious plans are the result of China's unremitting efforts in the space field for many years.
In the competition of strength, China is bound to win
Although China's road to lunar exploration is highly invested, it has become more and more stable step by step. In contrast, India's low-cost lunar exploration is more a trade-off that it has to make in the process of catching up with space powers.
In the long run, China's advantages in basic scientific research and advanced technology will surely become its magic weapon in future deep space exploration. As mentioned in the article, China has not only mastered a series of key core technologies, but is also laying a solid foundation for larger-scale lunar exploration and development.
In contrast, although India has certain advantages in cost control, it is obviously lacking in independent innovation capabilities. This kind of development, which lacks a foundation, will eventually be constrained in the competition with the space powers. As the article says, India still has a long way to go if it wants to catch up with China.
For China, the top priority is to find a balance between technological upgrading and cost control. Only by ensuring the technical level and taking into account economic benefits can the aerospace industry achieve sustainable development. It is believed that in this process, China will be able to continue to maintain its leading position in Asia and even the world, and make greater contributions to human deep space exploration.