China plans more Moon missions after finding new lunar mineral
China’s National Space Administration, its equivalent of NASA, received approval to send three orbiters to the moon as part of the Chang’e lunar program
China has ramped up its ambitions in space in recent years, sending probes to the moon, building its own space station and setting its sights on Mars, plans that have put it in direct competition with the US. (Image credit: Getty / File photo) China plans to launch three unmanned missions to the moon over the next 10 years, as it seeks to rival the US in the new era of space exploration.
China’s National Space Administration, its equivalent of NASA, received approval to send three orbiters to the moon as part of the Chang’e lunar program, said Liu Jizhong, an official with the China Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center, according to state-backed CCTV.
The announcement came a day after China said it discovered a new lunar mineral, via samples retrieved by its Chang’e-5 mission. Named Changesite-(Y), it was described by the state-run Xinhua news agency as a kind-of colorless transparent columnar crystal. It’s said to contain helium-3, an isotype that’s been speculated as a future energy source.
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