China Plans to Build the World's Biggest Spacecraft; 1.5-Kilometer Ship to Travel Around Solar System for Developing Interplanetary Nation

China announced last August that they have successfully schemed plans for constructing a massive space vessel. Before the year ended, the government announced that they would build a gigantic ship, which would span 1.5 kilometers in length. The vessel will then be launched to orbit for future studies and cater to initial government plans on space tourism and enterprise.

China reportedly began its enormous project by building its rockets first. The desire to build the massive spaceship and launch it above the planet's surface is just a fragment of what Asia's superpower aims for.

China Large Ship and the Modern-Day Space Race

China Launches Its First Space Laboratory Module Tiangong-1
JIUQUAN, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 29: A Long March 2F rocket carrying the country's first space laboratory module Tiangong-1 lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on September 29, 2011 in Jiuquan, Gansu province of China. The unmanned Tiangong-1 will stay in orbit for two years and dock with China's Shenzhou-8, -9 and -10 spacecraft with the eventual goal of establishing a manned Chinese space station around 2020. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

China had been overshadowed for the past few years by the United States' advancements. Despite their efforts to catch up with the unsaid space race with the west, the country does not plan to stop creating and deploying its versions of probes and vessels. This time, China is planning to initiate the flight of the biggest man-made ship ever constructed.

The anticipated ship from the country will be created far greater than the new Chinese Space Station they are currently developing. According to a report by Medium, the large ship will be built with physical features inspired by designs from pop culture and cinematic spaceships.

According to the report, China's investment in their massive craft is dedicated to the government's near-impossible aspiration to travel around the solar system for the first time. Through this mission, China will reach the mysterious depths of space, enabling them to construct a larger, interplanetary administrative system.


Massive Spacecraft for Solar System Roundtrip

The plans were recently unveiled by the experts of China's National Natural Science Foundation in August 2021. The agency behind the development of the gigantic spacecraft is notable for many cosmic advances throughout the history of astronomical studies, keeping China maintaining its seat among the countries that lead space explorations today.

The current space vessel operating actively in orbit is the International Space Station (ISS), which measures 109 meters in length. If China succeeded in developing its ship, it would be the largest man-made structure ever created.

Concepts for China's spacecraft were already approved as funds poured in to materialize the 1.5-kilometer structure. According to the plans, the craft will be built through assembly, where separate modules will be set to connect outside space one by one. Each of the modules will be manufactured with the help of specialized materials and advanced 3D printers for reliability and accuracy.

Today, the National Natural Science Foundation of China is calling for proposals for the said project. Luckily, experts will be granted an amount of 2.3 million dollars if their contributions are accepted. Part of the funds relayed to the signed proposals will be budgeted for future feasibility studies. The selected groups will also have a chance to contribute to how the modules and components are transferred from Earth to orbit to complete the entirety of the ship.

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.

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