China’s Belt and Road Initiative Extends to Space Program
The Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) wants to establish a permanent research station on the surface of the Moon. While this sentiment echoes those from NASA’s Artemis program or ESA’s Moon Village, China has a markedly different approach.
As part of the People’s Republic of China’s 100th anniversary (in 2049), China has outlined a strategy with a set of goals, known as the Belt and Road Initiative. This approach encompasses a wide variety of technological research and infrastructure development that align themselves towards economic impact, strategic military significance, and geopolitical hegemony.
Core characteristics of this initiative that will likely lead to success when building a sustainable human presence in space include:
Massive capital investment
Large pool dedicated and talented workforce
Long development timelines
Commitment to risky ventures
The same philosophy behind the Belt and Road Initiative is driving CNSA and its ambitions to develop a vibrant cislunar economy. They have laid out an incremental plan to explore the lunar polar regions for water ice with their Chang’e 6 through Chang’e 8 lunar missions. These missions rely on a successful return-to-flight of China’s Long March 5 heavy-lift launcher. Launch date for this is tentatively set for “late 2019”, but CNSA has not been forthcoming with updates.
Read more about China’s Get-Rich Space Program.
