China has set another ambitious space plan. The country is planning a crewed mission to Mars. The Asian giant is believed to be working on a long-term plan to conquer space. The plan includes setting up a permanent base on the Red Planet. Besides, it also includes extracting resources. As per the plan, China could send its first crewed mission to the Red Planet in 2033. Besides 2033, the country has also planned crewed launches in 2035, 2037, 2041, and beyond. The plan also includes sending regular follow-up flights. The objective is to explore the planet for human inhabitation. Crews will extract Mars resources and conduct scientific studies to understand the planet’s compositions. They will extract water beneath the planet’s surface, generate oxygen, and produce electricity.
China’s plan will only intensify a race to Mars. The United States is also working to send humans to Wars. It has set a target to launch a manned mission by end of the decade. This is the first time when China has made the plan publicly. This comes soon after China landed a rover on the Martian surface. China is the second nation after the US to operate a rover on the Red Planet. The rover landed on the planet in May, three months after an orbiter circled the planet to identify a potential landing site. The rover has since sent back images and videos of the Red Planet. It even clicked selfies and sent them to Earth. According to China’s plan, before sending humans to Mars, it will send robots. The robots will study possible sites for humans to set up the base and develop systems that will assist in extracting resources.
China said that it has made significant progress in developing a technology to execute its Mars mission. Buoyed by the success of the recent Mars mission, the country is sure that it will develop a technology that will fly astronauts back to Earth. NASA too is developing a technology for an uncrewed round-trip. It is planning to bring Martial soil back to understand compositions. Meanwhile, China is simultaneously working on a plan to set up a base in the south pole on Moon. The base will assist in sending a crewed mission to Mars. China recently sent three astronauts to set up an independent space station. The space station is likely to become operational by end of 2022.
