China has taken a step forward in its ambitious plan to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 – unveiling the specially designed spacesuit its crew will don for what’s expected to be a landmark mission in the country’s space program.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared a post on the platform X featuring the CCTV video and his own caption.
The agency revealed a protoype of its Artemis III spacesuit prototype, the AxEMU, in 2023.
Thanks to its thin exosphere, the moon is an unforgiving place, exposed to both the sun’s rays and the cold of space.
“Unlike low-Earth orbit missions, astronauts will be in a harsh natural lunar environment during lunar extravehicular activities.
China unveiled the specially made spacesuit its crew will wear for what is anticipated to be a historic mission in the nation’s space program, marking a step forward in its ambitious plan to land astronauts on the moon by 2030.
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) unveiled the new red-and-white suit over the weekend. According to state media, it is designed to withstand the intense heat, radiation, and dust of the moon while giving astronauts the physical flexibility they need to carry out tasks on the lunar surface.
Famous Chinese astronauts Zhai Zhigang and Wang Yaping demonstrated how the moon-landing suit can bend and climb a ladder in a video posted by state broadcaster CCTV. The suit also has an operations console, a glare-proof helmet visor, and an integrated long- and short-range camera.
Global interest has been piqued in the new technology.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, posted the CCTV footage along with a message on the platform X.
In apparent reference to China’s alleged acceleration of its space program in comparison to the US, he wrote, “meanwhile, back in America, the [Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)] is smothering the national space program in kafkaesque paperwork!”.
FAA has been contacted by CNN for a response.
Large government contracts that SpaceX has received in recent years have helped the company’s fortunes and Musk’s personal wealth as NASA has looked to the private sector for space exploration and logistics.
Head of Space.
China unveiled the moon landing spacesuit at a time when the nation is making a big push to become a major player in space, an area that countries, including the US, are increasingly interested in for resources and national security as well as scientific purposes.
Over the past few years, the China National Space Administration has conducted a number of increasingly sophisticated robotic lunar missions. Earlier this year, they made history by returning lunar samples to Earth for the first time. It has been vying to be the second nation to send men to the moon, announcing that its first crewed mission will happen “by 2030.”. “.
Although it has postponed its original schedule for its Artemis III mission, the US, which has not sent astronauts to the moon since 1972, still intends to send a crew this decade. At least September 2026 will pass before that mission launches, NASA announced earlier this year. AxEMU, the agency’s prototype for the Artemis III spacesuit, was unveiled in 2023.
Experts pointed out that China’s new spacesuit is specifically designed for lunar conditions, unlike the suits astronauts at China’s Tiangong orbital space station wear, and that China’s new spacesuit was heralded in state media as a significant advancement in the nation’s crewed mission timeline.
The moon, being open to the harsh elements of space and the sun’s radiation, is a harsh place because of its thin exosphere. As per NASA, during the daytime, temperatures near the equator of the Moon can reach up to 250°F (121°C), and during the night, they can drop to -208°F (-133°C).
“During lunar extravehicular activities, astronauts will be in a harsh natural lunar environment, unlike low-Earth orbit missions.”. Wu Zhiqiang, the deputy chief designer of astronaut systems at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, told state broadcaster CCTV that complex environmental factors like high vacuum and low gravity, lunar dust and soil, complex lunar surface terrain, high and low temperatures, and strong radiation will have a significant impact on work and protection.
Others praised the suit’s design, with state media stating that the red stripes on its upper limbs are modeled after the ribbons of “flying apsaras,” or gods that can be seen in Dunhuang, western China, in ancient art, while the stripes on its lower limbs are reminiscent of “rocket launch flames.”. “.
The proportions of the suit, according to another designer, Wang Chunhui, would “make us Chinese look strong and beautiful when we step on the moon” and “make the astronauts look more spirited and majestic.”. “.
The crewed lunar mission’s spacecraft, named Mengzhou, or Dream Vessel, and Lanyue, or Embracing the Moon, the lander, were unveiled by Chinese officials earlier this year.
The mission is a part of China’s larger lunar aspirations, which include building an international lunar research station by 2040 at the moon’s south pole.
