space
The United States is about to wake up to the threat from China's space program
One big question: Will China assert territorial rights where its rover explores?
TL;DR
- China's Chang'e 7 mission, launching soon, aims to explore the Moon's South Pole, specifically Shackleton Crater.
- This mission includes an orbiter, lander, rover, and mini-hopper, with the lander being significantly larger than recent NASA-backed probes.
- The South Pole is a critical region for potential lunar settlements due to permanently shadowed craters that may hold water ice and other materials.
- No spacecraft has ever landed at the Moon's South Pole, making Chang'e 7's landing a historic first.
- A successful mission could be a geopolitical win for China, potentially allowing it to declare supremacy and assert territorial rights.
- This lunar race has prompted reforms within NASA, including changes to the Lunar Gateway and Space Launch System, to accelerate the Artemis Program.
- There's a possibility China could claim the territory explored by its rovers, which would be a provocation and could galvanize further U.S. investment in space.