The mission was announced after China had found a lunar mineral that contains helium-3, a said future energy fuel.
China plans to send three unmanned missions to the moon in the coming decade. China’s National space administration received approval for this mission as a part of the Chang’e lunar program as confirmed by Liu Jizhong, an official with the China Lunar Exploration and Space Program Centre. This is seen as a move to strike a rivalry against us in space exploration.
The announcement was made soon after the country claimed to have found a lunar mineral via samples gathered by chang’e-5.Â
The mineral is Named Changesite-(Y). As described by a state-run news channel, Xinhua news agency, the lunar mineral appears as a colourless columnar crystal, transparent in appearance. It consists of helium-3 which is an isotope speculated as a future energy source. Â
China and the USA have been in a tug of war for a few years now when it comes to space programs. NASA administrators had recently criticised China for the space debris caused by their side while accusing the country of having stolen space technology.
In recent years, China has ramped up its ambition in space. The country has been sending probes to the moon, has made its own space station, and just revelry it plans to send Chang’e 7 focusing on the moon’s south pole as scientists think it would be a good place to find water from. China also seeks to instigate a Mars mission within this decade.
China’s lunar program was established in 2004 and the country sent its first three spacecraft after three years. The Change program got its name after the Chinese moon goddess and has turned its way into focusing on collecting samples from the lunar surface.Â
Eventually china would start working on its moon based international research station, as said by a government official.
