Carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft, a Long March-7 Y7 rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan, on May 10, 2023. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

Edited by WANG Xiaoxia

In 2023, China made some major advances in space exploration. In 2024, the in-orbit China Space Station will welcome new "visitors," and the country will make the first ever attempt to collect samples from the far side of the Moon. Meanwhile, the commercial space industry is expected to continue the positive momentum made last year.

Four missions to Tiangong

Four missions will be concluded in the country's space program in 2024, namely the launches of the cargo craft Tianzhou-7 and Tianzhou-8, and the crewed spaceships Shenzhou-18 and Shenzhou-19, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Among them, both Shenzhou-18 and Shenzhou-19 are composed of three crew members, which means that the space station will see two in-orbit "shifts" this year, and six astronauts will work and live in the "space home.”

As for the Tianzhou cargo craft, its loading capacity has reached 7.4 tons, making it one of the most powerful cargo spacecraft in the world. When Tianzhou-7 is launched, the in-orbit inventory and the cargo craft's supplies combined can support the crew for one year.

Collecting samples from the Moon’s far side

As one of the science events to watch for in 2024, selected by the journal Nature, China’s lunar probe Chang'e-6 will be launched to collect samples from the far side of the moon, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Before the probe, the newly developed relay satellite Queqiao-2, or Magpie Bridge-2, will be launched in the first half of 2024, to support the communications between the moon's far side and the earth. After Chang’e-6, the satellite will continue to serve the Chang 'e-7, Chang 'e-8 and subsequent lunar exploration missions, said the CNSA.

It noted that the Chang'e-6 lunar probe will carry payloads from France, Italy, Pakistan and the European Space Agency, which include a negative ion detector and a radon gas detector. At present, China is leading the development of the International Lunar Research Station to promote international cooperation in lunar exploration.

Nurturing commercial space industry 

Recently, construction work was completed on the No. 1 launch pad of China's first commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenhang, Hainan province, marking a key step forward in China's commercial space industry development.

The commercial space industry, as one of the strategic emerging industries, will be prioritized in 2024, according to the annual Central Economic Work Conference held last December. This year, the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site is expected to carry out its first commercial spaceflight mission.