Wednesday China planning manned moon landing

China is making preliminary preparations for a manned lunar landing mission.

Yang Liwei, deputy director general of China Manned Space Agency, said on Tuesday that it will not take long for the project to get official approval and funding. He made his comments during a group interview at the Global Space Exploration Conference in Beijing.

When asked whether he has any plan to step onto the Moon, Yang, China’s first astronaut, showed great excitement. “If I am given the opportunity, no problem!” he said.

Wu Yansheng, president of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, also said that China is working on a manned lunar landing plan.

The mission will consist of a manned spaceship, a propulsion vehicle and a lunar lander.

Reusable space craft being developed

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, one of the nation’s major space contractors, said it is developing reusable spacecraft capable of taking off and landing at airports.

Liu Shiquan, deputy general manager of CASIC, told the 2017 Global Space Exploration Conference that the cuttingedge spacecraft’s key technologies and major parts — such as its engine — have passed ground tests and the program is proceeding smoothly.

Yang Yuguang, a spaceflight expert and member of the International Astronautical Federation’s Space Transportation Committee, said reusable spacecraft will have a wide range of applications, such as providing space tours for ordinary people, transporting astronauts, resupplying space stations as well as placing satellites into orbit.