China’s Space Day just dropped some cosmic news! The country plans a record-breaking 100+ space launches this year, including Thursday’s Shenzhou-18 crewed mission to its space station. From moon samples to next-gen rockets, here’s your galactic cheat sheet.
Launching Into Overdrive
After ranking #2 globally in 2023 with 67 missions, China’s doubling down. The new Long March-12 rocket—a 3.8-meter liquid-fueled beast—will debut at Wenchang’s commercial launch site, hauling satellites for low-orbit ‘megaconstellations.’
Moonraker Moves
This year’s lunar lineup slaps:
- Chang’e-6: First-ever far side moon sample return (with French/Italian gadgets onboard!)
- Queqiao-2: Relay satellite already prepping Earth-Moon FaceTime sessions
Squad Goals: Space Edition
The International Lunar Research Station just added Nicaragua and two space orgs as partners. Think global moon base vibes—Phase 1’s set for 2030.
Hot Space Tech Drops
Watch for:
- New crewed spacecraft prototypes
- Tianwen-2 asteroid sampler
- China-France salinity-monitoring satellite
With 290+ spacecraft set for orbit, China’s 2024 space playlist is lit.
Reference(s):
China's Space Day: Unveiling upcoming space missions in 2024
cgtn.com