Hold onto your space helmets! 🌌 China has revealed an ambitious plan to build a groundbreaking International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) by 2050, aiming to connect the moon's south pole, equator, and far side through a futuristic exploration network. The project, described as 'expandable and maintainable,' will blend robotic operations with short-term human missions, according to Wu Yanhua, chief designer of China's deep space exploration program.
🔭 Phase one? A basic lunar base at the moon's south pole by 2035. Phase two? Expanding it into a sprawling network by 2050, complete with a lunar orbit hub, surface nodes, and even a pit stop for future Mars missions. 'Think of it as the ultimate cosmic co-working space,' Wu said at a conference in Huangshan City.
🛰️ Powered by solar, nuclear, and radioisotope energy, the ILRS will include moon buggies, communication networks, and even refueling stations for Earth-moon shuttles. China's also inviting global partners to collaborate—because exploring the final frontier is a team sport. 🛸
With plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, this lunar blueprint could be humanity's next giant leap. Who's ready for moon coffee breaks? ☕️
