China is ready with lunar spacesuit in latest step towards 2030 moon landing

 

China has revealed the design of the country’s first lunar spacesuit, marking another step towards its planned crewed moon landing by 2030.The lightweight suit, unveiled by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Saturday, is the result of four years of research and development.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, the spacesuit will help astronauts to carry out extravehicular tasks by protecting against the harsh lunar environment. Unlike the Earth, there is no atmosphere on the moon, and temperature changes are rapid and extreme – from around 120 degrees Celsius (248 degrees Fahrenheit) to minus 130 degrees near the lunar equator. Astronauts would also be exposed to almost vacuum-level atmospheric pressure and solar radiation levels much higher than that on Earth.

The suit would enable them to walk, climb, drive and carry out scientific research on the lunar surface, CCTV reported. The CMSA released a video to showcase its creation at the third spacesuit technology forum in the southwestern city of Chongqing. The suit is made of fabric designed to protect against heat and lunar dust. It comes with a pair of protective gloves that allow for motion and mobility joints at the knees for ease of movement in the moon’s low-gravity environment.

It is also equipped with a panoramic antiglare visor, a console that connects with systems including communication and a video camera.“We aim to convey the message of fortitude [through its design],” spacesuit engineering office director Zhang Wanxin from the Astronaut Centre of China told CCTV. The Beijing-based centre, which leads astronaut training and crewed space travel research in the country, hosted the forum in Chongqing.

The artistic design of the lunar suit drew inspiration from Chinese cultural elements, CCTV said. The upper body of the white suit features red decorative straps. Blended with the sturdy, robust vibe of an armour, the design symbolises the idea in Chinese philosophy of balancing strength and grace, the broadcaster said, while describing the red straps on the sides of the legs as a reminder of the fiery tails of a rocket during lift-off. CMSA has also launched a public naming campaign for the suit, one that would capture concepts from both traditional Chinese culture and modern technology.

In April, the CMSA said the building of systems and the timeline were on target to put Chinese astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade. China’s moon landing plan involves two separate launches of Long March 10 rockets to send three astronauts and the lunar lander into lunar orbit. There, the Mengzhou spacecraft and Lanyue lunar lander will dock and touch down on the lunar surface. Two astronauts will spend a few hours on the moon, and then lift off to join their colleague in lunar orbit before returning to Earth.

The United States is also working to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo Programme between 1969 and 1972. This might take place in 2026 or later. Nasa said earlier this year that it aimed to land the first astronauts near the lunar South Pole in late 2026. But the US Government Accountability Office in a report released last November said the mission was likely to take place in early 2027, considering the average time taken for the development of major Nasa projects.

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