China’s Race to the Moon: Exciting Space Adventures in 2024! 🚀🌕
Hey there, future space explorers! Have you ever dreamed of going to the moon? Well, guess what? China is making big moves in space this year, and it’s super exciting!
Launching to the Moon with Chang’e-6 🚀
On May 3, 2024, China launched a special spaceship called Chang’e-6. But this isn’t just any spaceship. It’s a lunar probe, which means it’s designed to go to the moon! 🌕
The coolest part? Chang’e-6 is aiming to bring back rocks and dust (called samples) from the far side of the moon. That’s the part we can’t see from Earth! 🌑 No one has ever done this before!
Bringing Back Moon Rocks 🪨
After its amazing journey, on June 25, Chang’e-6 returned to Earth, landing safely in Inner Mongolia, a region in China. It brought back almost 2 kilograms of moon samples! That’s like the weight of a big textbook! 📚
Scientists are super excited because these samples help them learn new things about the moon. They found out that the moon’s magnetic field (kind of like a giant magnet) got stronger again 2.8 billion years ago after it had weakened. This was a big surprise! 🧲
Plans to Land Astronauts on the Moon by 2030 👩🚀
But wait, there’s more! China is planning to send astronauts to the moon by 2030. That means in just a few years, we might see people walking on the moon again! How cool is that? 🌟
Building a Lunar Research Station 🏗️
China also wants to build a lunar research station. Think of it like a space lab on the moon! It will be built in stages:
- By 2035, they’ll build the basic part in the moon’s south pole region. ❄️
- By 2050, they’ll add more to it, making it even bigger and better! 🌐
Amazing Space Missions This Year 🚀
China hasn’t just been busy with the moon. They’ve also been sending astronauts to their own space station!
Tianzhou-7: Delivering Supplies 📦
On January 17, the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft blasted off. It carried lots of supplies to the astronauts, like food, equipment, and even personal gifts! 🎁
Shenzhou-18: Record-Breaking Spacewalks 🛠️
Then, on April 25, the Shenzhou-18 mission launched with astronauts onboard. They did two spacewalks, which is when astronauts go outside their spaceship in space! One of their spacewalks lasted 8.5 hours, setting a new record for China! ⏱️
Shenzhou-19: Youngest Crew Ever 👩🚀👨🚀
On October 30, the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft sent up China’s youngest team of astronauts, with two of them born in the 1990s! They’re up there right now, exploring and doing experiments. 🛰️
They also did a super long spacewalk of nine hours on December 17. That’s like a full day at school! 🏫
Tianzhou-8: More Supplies and Gifts 🎁
On November 15, the Tianzhou-8 cargo ship took off, bringing more supplies and even personalized gifts to the astronauts in space. How awesome is that? 😊
Looking Ahead to 2025 and Beyond 🌌
China isn’t slowing down. Next year, in 2025, they’re planning three more big missions:
- Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21: More astronauts will go to space! 👨🚀👩🚀
- Tianzhou-9: Another cargo ship to bring supplies. 📦
What Does This Mean for Us? 🤔
All these amazing space missions show how exciting space exploration can be. Maybe one day, some of you will be astronauts or scientists discovering new things in space! The sky isn’t the limit anymore—it’s just the beginning! 🌠
Keep dreaming big, and who knows where you’ll go? Maybe even to the moon! 🌙
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
