China launched several flights to space, including Tiangong Space Station, in 2021. Furthermore, the country and Russia will sign a new space Cooperation Program for 2023-2027. Is Beijing leading the space race this time?
China Conducts 55 Space Flights in 2021
According to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), Beijing conducted 55 space launch operations in 2021. The country ranked itself first globally, Chinese news agency Xinhua said.
The Long March series carrier rockets launched 48 successful flights. Four Kuaizhou-1A carrier rocket launches, one CERES-1 carrier rocket launch, and two SQX-1 commercial carrier rocket launches were also part of the missions.
The first wave of astronauts going for China's under-construction space station had been the most anticipated launch in 2021. The Chinese space station, dubbed Tiangong, is planned to accommodate at least three astronauts for long-duration missions and six for shorter stays.
In 2021, Beijing launched numerous rockets to build the world's second zero-gravity floating outpost, following the International Space Station. Space.com said China National Space Administration launched Tianzhou-2 and bonded with the space station barely eight hours after launch, making it one of the quickest dockings ever.
Beijing has sent the second group of astronauts to the International Space Station, including the first female astronaut. The astronauts returned to the space station's core module Tianhe earlier this week after completing the fourth extravehicular activity (EVA). The EVAs were conducted to assess the technologies related to EVAs, the coordination of taikonauts inside and outside the space station, and the coordination between space and Earth and test the function and performance of the core module airlock cabin, extravehicular suit, and mechanical arm.
While some will recognize Chinese innovation in space, errors will not go forgotten. Earlier this year, an erratically falling Long March 5B rocket put people's lives and property in peril. China has been criticized for failing to plan its re-entry properly. They fired another Long March 5B rocket in 2020. According to Reuters (via CNBC), it made an 'out-of-control' re-entry into the ground. Some of its space debris caused damage to houses in two communities in the Republic of Ivory Coast, West Africa. Last 2021, the rocket's wreckage eventually landed in the Indian Ocean, with most of its components destroyed during re-entry into the atmosphere.
Despite that, the 400th launch flight of China's Long March carrier rocket series took place this year. It marked the major stride forward in the country's aerospace and science-technology capabilities.
Russia to Build Int'l Lunar Station by 2035
In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, Russia's national space agency Roscosmos said that Beijing and Moscow would an open and inclusive International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) by 2035.
The new program will also contain plans to assist the development of the ground component of the two nations' national satellite systems, Russia's GLONASS and China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), which they will deploy next year. They also have fascinating projects Roscosmos and the China National Space Agency (CNSA) will collaborate on in the future decades as the two countries combine forces to attain new heights in space research.
In contrast to the US lunar exploration effort known as the "Artemis Accords," which analysts claim indicates its "exclusive character for replicating a space-based NATO," China and Russia's alliance emphasizes progress for everyone, intending to create a community with a shared destiny for humanity.
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