Latest news with #Queqiao
Arab News
2 days ago
- Science
- Arab News
China's rapid progress in race to the moon
China is making rapid progress with the building of a new space network called the Queqiao constellation. This system is designed to connect Earth and the moon through reliable communications, navigation and observation tools. The goal is to support future lunar missions by placing satellites and spacecraft in key positions around the moon and in space between the Earth and the moon, including areas known as Lagrange points, where gravity allows objects to stay in place more easily. This infrastructure is essential for China's plans to explore, work and even build settlements on the moon in the coming decades. China last month moved a small spacecraft named Tiandu-1 into an orbit that means it loops around Earth once for every three times the moon circles our planet. This special orbit gives it a predictable position relative to the moon over time, which helps in studying the complex pull of the gravity of both Earth and the moon. Another key satellite, Queqiao-2, was launched last year and it is already helping China prepare for future moon landings. And the satellite DRO-B has entered a different kind of orbit and is now traveling through Lagrange points. These stable zones are where space stations or satellite hubs may one day be located. In the US, the Artemis program is NASA's ambitious plan to return astronauts to the moon, establish a sustainable human presence there and use the lunar missions as a steppingstone for future Mars exploration. But Artemis has faced delays and budget uncertainties. The first uncrewed Artemis 1 mission successfully flew around the moon in 2022, but upcoming crewed missions have been pushed back. It has lately been shaped by political uncertainty and doubts over its focus. The moon objective might have regained importance in the US following the falling-out of Trump and Musk Khaled Abou Zahr The moon objective might have regained importance in the past month following the falling-out of US President Donald Trump and SpaceX's Elon Musk. Musk has been a long-time supporter of going straight to Mars and has publicly stated that moon missions are a waste of resources and time. His closeness to Trump had hence cast doubts on the moon projects. Musk's preferred nominee for NASA chief, Jared Isaacman, had also been seen as shifting national space policy in favor of Mars. It is worth noting that Isaacman had great support from the space business community. However, Trump withdrew his nomination and Musk's subsequent exit from the White House has, according to media reports, given the moon mission backers the opportunity to shift NASA's focus firmly back to lunar exploration. In the race for the moon, the outcome is not yet clear. The White House has proposed a cut to NASA's budget for fiscal year 2026, aiming to slash nearly 25 percent of the agency's funding — from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. This would be the largest single-year budget reduction in NASA's history. The most severe cuts would hit NASA's science programs, which are set to lose 47 percent of their funding, shrinking to just $3.9 billion. Such cuts threaten to cancel about a third of NASA's science projects, including high-profile missions like the Mars Sample Return, the New Horizons mission to the outer solar system and the Juno probe orbiting Jupiter. Long-running Mars orbiters such as Mars Odyssey and MAVEN, as well as NASA's contribution to the European Rosalind Franklin rover, would also face cancellation. Beyond funding, the proposal also calls for cutting NASA's workforce by about 32 percent, reducing staff from 17,391 to 11,853 employees. The proposed budget also targets the cancellation of key Artemis program components. However, the budget request is just a proposal and will require approval from Congress to take effect. Moreover, following Musk's exit, the renewed momentum for the moon also comes as the Senate Commerce Committee unveiled a $10 billion reconciliation bill to fund NASA in response to the proposed budget cuts, with much of that planned for the Artemis program. The new Senate proposal recenters toward lunar goals. China plans to build a permanent lunar base by 2035, focusing on using the moon's ice to support human missions Khaled Abou Zahr It is also worth noting that there is a business angle to this, with many of the industry's actors using it as a way to counter SpaceX's dominance of the launch and space markets and carve out a wider distribution of contracts. In 2024, SpaceX accounted for 95 percent of all US orbital launches. Moreover, once its Starship rocket becomes operational, it will be another leap for the US. This would even allow for an acceleration of space launches. Many wonder why so much focus is on the moon. But it holds importance beyond scientific research. To start with, launching rockets from the moon is generally much cheaper and more efficient in terms of fuel compared to launching from Earth. This is primarily because the moon's gravity is about one-sixth that of Earth's, so rockets need less energy to escape the surface. Moreover, on Earth, the atmospheric drag requires large amounts of fuel to reach orbit. In comparison, the Moon has no atmosphere, eliminating air resistance. Some estimates suggest that launching from the Moon could reduce fuel requirements by up to 90 percent compared to Earth launches for the same payload. Another advantage is the moon's unique environment. It offers valuable resources, such as water in the form of ice, which can be used for life support and fuel production, potentially enabling sustainable space missions. Other more adventurous objectives have been stated, such as mining rare materials and developing new industries like lunar tourism and manufacturing. Water on the moon is mostly found as ice in permanently shadowed regions near the poles, especially within craters that never receive sunlight. This is why China will focus on the moon's south pole. It plans to build a permanent lunar base there by 2035, focusing on using the moon's ice to support human missions and fuel production. Upcoming Chang'e missions will seek resources and test technologies for habitat construction. China has a focused and state-driven approach to establishing a permanent lunar presence. It seems much clearer than the US space program, especially as public debates roar in America. Yet, despite its budget challenges and political debates, the US is unleashing a vibrant private space sector, which is showing rapid innovation. Despite the technical difficulties and setbacks faced by both nations, the race for the moon is now clearly on. The first to arrive will likely benefit just as much as when the New World was discovered.
Sustainability Times
05-05-2025
- Science
- Sustainability Times
China Hits the Moon With a Laser: First Daylight Lunar Reflection in History Stuns Scientists and Ignites Global Space Race
IN A NUTSHELL 🌕 China's Space Milestone: Successfully fired a precision laser across over 80,000 miles to bounce off a satellite orbiting the Moon during daylight. Successfully fired a precision laser across over 80,000 miles to bounce off a satellite orbiting the Moon during daylight. 🔭 Satellite Laser Ranging: Achieved remarkable precision akin to hitting a single hair from 6.2 miles away, expanding the limits of existing technology. Achieved remarkable precision akin to hitting a single hair from 6.2 miles away, expanding the limits of existing technology. 🚀 Lunar Ambitions: Part of China's plan to establish a permanent lunar presence by 2035, with a crewed landing targeted by 2030. Part of China's plan to establish a permanent lunar presence by 2035, with a crewed landing targeted by 2030. 🌌 Future Challenges and Opportunities: Raises questions about international cooperation, competition, and the management of increasing space traffic. China's recent achievement in space exploration marks a groundbreaking milestone in laser technology. The nation successfully fired a precision laser across over 80,000 miles of space to bounce it off a satellite orbiting the Moon during daylight. This feat showcases China's relentless pursuit of technological advancement and strengthens its position in the global space race. The experiment, conducted by the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL), plays a crucial role in China's ambitious plans to establish a permanent lunar presence by 2035. This article delves into the intricate details of this remarkable achievement and its implications for future space missions. Precision and Mastery: The Art of Satellite Laser Ranging Satellite laser ranging is considered the gold standard for determining satellite orbits with pinpoint accuracy. The process involves firing nanosecond pulses from ground stations, which bounce off retroreflectors on spacecraft and return to reveal the distance down to centimeters. While this technique is routine for low-Earth satellites, the challenge multiplies when dealing with the Earth-Moon distance, especially under daylight conditions. China's recent success in overcoming solar background noise to achieve accurate measurements during daylight expands the limits of this technology significantly. This remarkable precision is likened to 'aiming at a sub-millimeter target—essentially a single hair—from over 6.2 miles away.' By achieving such accuracy, China can now gather orbital data whenever the Tiandu-1 satellite passes within view, enhancing the frequency and reliability of measurements. This development is crucial for the planned Queqiao constellation, which aims to provide continuous communications and navigation support for various lunar missions. '8,000 Miles of Hacker-Proof Security': China's quantum satellite forges this unprecedented secure link to South Africa, redefining global communications A Step Closer to China's Lunar Ambitions China's space endeavors are part of a more extensive plan to establish a permanent foothold on the Moon. The Tiandu-1 satellite, along with Tiandu-2 and the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, form the backbone of China's lunar exploration infrastructure. These satellites have already delivered detailed images of the lunar surface and demonstrated successful cross-link communications, paving the way for more ambitious missions. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has set an ambitious timeline, targeting a crewed lunar landing by 2030. The construction of the International Lunar Research Station, a collaborative effort with Russia, is expected to begin by 2035. Laser ranging technology will play a pivotal role in various aspects of lunar exploration, including approach-and-landing guidance and the coordination of rover fleets exploring the Moon's surface. The US on High Alert: China's Largest Nuclear Reactor Passes Final Test as Global Power Tensions Explode Expanding the Horizons of Earth-Moon Links With the success of the daylight laser ranging experiment, DSEL plans to extend daytime trials to longer ranges and higher repetition rates. This advancement will integrate more seamlessly into routine deep-space operations, enhancing the reliability of Earth-Moon links. The experiment follows the successful 2024 launch of Chang'e-6, which returned soil samples from the Moon's far side, underscoring the importance of robust communication and navigation systems in space exploration. Beyond laser technology, China is exploring other innovative solutions to support its lunar ambitions. The CNSA anticipates the need for a comprehensive space-traffic management system to handle the estimated 100,000 satellites in low Earth orbit by the decade's end. In collaboration with Russia, China is also evaluating nuclear reactors and alternative power sources for the International Lunar Research Station under the Chang'e-8 mission. 'China's Secret Spaceplane Exposed': Austrian Amateur Snaps Stunning Image as Mysterious Craft Soars Over Europe Future Prospects: Challenges and Opportunities China's achievements in laser technology and lunar exploration present both challenges and opportunities. The nation's advancements in space technology could spur increased competition among space-faring nations, potentially leading to new collaborations and innovations. However, the growing number of satellites in orbit also raises concerns about space traffic management and the potential for collisions. As China continues to push the boundaries of space exploration, the implications for international cooperation and competition remain to be seen. How will other nations respond to China's rapid advancements in space technology? Will these achievements lead to new opportunities for collaboration, or will they intensify the global space race? The future of space exploration is undoubtedly intriguing, with many questions yet to be answered. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (29)
