China has made huge progress in its moon exploration mission amid the tight competition against the United States. Both have just scored new partners for their lunar missions.
China's CNA vs. US' NASA on Moon Mission
China achieved a diplomatic win in its competition with the United States for space power when Egypt consented to back Beijing's proposal for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS)—to collaborate on the International Lunar Research Station. This Chinese-backed facility is anticipated to start operations in 2030; the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Egyptian Space Agency (EGSA) signed a memorandum of agreement on Wednesday.
China's other partner nations for ILRS include Russia, Venezuela, South Africa, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Belarus.
The China-Egypt deal was reached just one week after the United States achieved a diplomatic coup. It persuaded Angola to endorse the NASA-backed Artemis Accords, which set down guidelines for space research on the Moon and beyond.
In 2020, the Department of State and seven other founding members established the Artemis Accords. The agreements uphold the United States and signatory countries' adherence to the Rescue and Return Agreement, the Registration Convention, and best practices and standards of responsible conduct that NASA and its partners promote, including disseminating scientific data to the public.
NASA will use the Artemis program to place the first woman and person of color on the Moon, make significant scientific advancements, and explore a larger portion of the lunar surface than ever before.
Although NASA is in charge of Artemis, foreign collaborations will be crucial to establishing a stable and strong presence on the Moon, where NASA will be ready for the first-ever human voyage to Mars.
Beijing and Washington are at odds about who will be their ally in the upcoming space race as they both aim to send men to the Moon. After declaring in 2021 that it would collaborate with Russia on the ILRS, China has been pursuing assistance from other countries, albeit with comparatively less success than the United States. Signatories of Artemis include China's fellow BRICS members, Brazil and India, and conventional U.S. allies like Japan and the U.K.
Japan Launches SLIM Moon Lander
On Sept. 6, Japan launched two massive space missions -- a powerful X-ray space telescope and a state-of-the-art lunar lander. Tanegashima Space Center saw the launch of a JapaneseH-2A rocket carrying the XRISM space telescope and the SLIM moon lander at 7:42 p.m. EDT (23:42 GMT, or 8:42 a.m. in Japan on Sept. 7).
In three to four months, Japan will attempt its first-ever soft lunar landing with SLIM ("Smart Lander for Investigating Moon") if all goes according to plan. A well-placed touchdown will pave the way for future achievements that are even more audacious.
After traveling a long, looping, and fuel-efficient route, SLIM will get into lunar orbit. After another month of monitoring, it will attempt to land inside Shioli Crater, a 1,000-foot-wide (300-meter) impact area on the near side of the Moon at 13 degrees south latitude.
Compared to earlier lunar landing missions, the probe aims to land more precisely, with a landing zone within 330 feet (100 meters) of a designated location within Shioli Crater. The goal is to demonstrate precision landing technology, enabling more in-depth research on the Moon and other celestial worlds.
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