China has launched its youngest-ever space crew with a mission aimed at putting astronauts on the moon before 2030. The Shenzhou 17 spacecraft, carrying a three-member crew, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. The move is part of China’s ambitions to reach new milestones in outer space and assert its influence, setting the stage for a growing rivalry with the United States.
Youthful Space Crew
The three-member crew consists of Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin, with an average age of 38. This makes them the youngest crew since the launch of the space station construction mission. China’s space agency, the China Manned Space Agency, is sending this team to replace a crew that has spent six months on the space station. Tang Hongbo, a veteran, previously led a three-month space mission in 2021.
Mission Objectives
The newly launched crew is tasked with conducting experiments in space medicine, space technology, and other areas. They will also be responsible for installing and maintaining equipment both inside and outside the space station.
Telescope for Deep Universe Probe
China’s space agency has announced plans to send a new telescope deep into the universe. This telescope will enable surveys and mapping of the sky, although no specific timeframe for its installation has been provided.
China’s Space Ambitions
China has a rich history of studying stars and planets for thousands of years, and in recent times, it has made substantial progress in space exploration and science. China built its own space station after being excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to concerns raised by the United States about control issues related to China’s military involvement in the program.
China made history in 2003 by becoming the third country, after the former Soviet Union and the U.S., to send an astronaut into space using its own resources. Although the United States maintains a significant edge in terms of spending, supply chains, and capabilities, China has made substantial advancements, including bringing lunar surface samples back and landing a rover on the far side of the moon.
The United States, in parallel, has announced its intention to return astronauts to the moon by the end of 2025, with private sector companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin playing a pivotal role in these renewed lunar missions.
Both China and the U.S. have also separately achieved milestones on Mars, with China planning to follow the U.S. by landing a spacecraft on an asteroid.
The rivalry between the two nations in space exploration signifies their competition for influence across technological, military, and diplomatic domains.
