China has established itself as a formidable space power. Earlier this year, it made history by retrieving soil and rock samples from the Moon’s far side. In 2021, China landed a spacecraft on Mars successfully on its first attempt, becoming the second nation to do so. It operates a continuously crewed space station for microgravity and cosmic ray experiments. Additionally, China has a fleet of scientific satellites observing the Sun, detecting gravitational waves, and capturing x-rays from black holes.
Now, China aims to achieve even more. This week, it released an ambitious plan to become a “world power in space science” by 2050. “We have made breakthroughs,” said Ding Chibiao, a vice president at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). “But we still don’t have many achievements compared to developed nations.”
The roadmap unveiled on October 15 includes several goals. It calls for establishing a research station on the Moon, returning samples of Venus’s atmosphere, and launching over 30 space science missions by mid-century. This plan is a collaboration between CAS, the China National Space Administration, and the China Manned Space Agency. It outlines a three-phase roadmap for the next 25 years.

In the near term, the plan confirms ongoing projects. These include the continued operation of the Chinese space station and further Mars probes. The upcoming Xuntian, a 2-meter optical telescope, will study exoplanets, star formation, and galaxy evolution, with a launch set for 2026.
The next phase, through 2035, includes sending humans to the Moon and establishing a research station there. It also plans to launch new Earth-observing instruments and send a spacecraft to Venus to collect atmospheric samples.
From 2036 to 2050, the plan outlines broad goals, such as studying the universe’s origin, gravitational waves, high-energy cosmic radiation, extraterrestrial life, and various aspects of the Solar System. Specific missions will be developed later to address these topics.
Officials highlighted the importance of international cooperation in space exploration. Wang Chi, director of the CAS National Space Science Center, mentioned the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), a joint mission with the European Space Agency (ESA) launching next year. He noted that China is increasingly incorporating scientific instruments from other countries on its satellites, with foreign scientists participating in many mission teams. “We will continue to strengthen cooperation in various disciplines,” Wang stated.
Researchers in China welcome the plan. Xiao Long, a planetary scientist at China University of Geosciences, noted that past funding was often constrained by the government’s five-year economic plans. A 25-year outlook allows for more long-term thinking, which is beneficial for young scientists planning their careers. Although the plan doesn’t specify funding, Xiao believes it will likely lead to increased national investment in space science.
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