China advances in its space race and takes the first civilian taikonaut into space

First modification: 05/30/2023 – 11:20

Until now, all its astronauts had been members of the People’s Liberation Army.

The addition of a Chinese civilian to the crew of the Chinese space station Tiangong (Palace of Heaven in Chinese) responds to the new stage of the Chinese space program that is more scientific than technical. As a payload expert, Gui Haichao will be responsible for operating the scientific equipment and conducting experiments during the next five months of its stay in orbit.

In recent years, neither the pandemic nor the war in Ukraine nor the crisis have stopped China’s plans to achieve its space dream. A rover in the hidden part of the Moon; the completion of construction of its Tiangong space station; or the constant launching of satellites, demonstrate China’s willingness to fulfill its space program and recover the distance with the United States and Russia.

The Chinese press celebrates the successful launch of the Shenzhou-16 spacecraft.

However, the Asian giant’s plans do not end with Tiangong. Before 2030, China has announced its plan to carry out a manned flight to the Moon, in addition to returning to Mars to bring rocks from its surface to Earth and study them.

Two weeks ago, China launched its 56th Beidou satellite in its quest to turn the country’s navigation system into a global geolocation network. On the other hand, China is advancing in the development of satellites for the detection of space gravitational waves.

The enormous investment of the Chinese Government in the space race grows in parallel with the public enthusiasm for the innovative progress of the Asian country in this field. China claims its place in space and is willing to continue adding milestones in this progress.