The fourth phase of China's lunar exploration project has begun to be fully implemented
——Interview with Wu Weiren, member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chief designer of China's lunar exploration project
Representative members bring new news
◎Our reporter Liu Yuanyuan
Not long ago, the State Council Information Office released the white paper "2021 China's Aerospace".
The press conference revealed that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, my country will launch a number of new major aerospace projects, including the fourth phase of the lunar exploration project.
What is the current progress of the fourth phase of China's lunar exploration project?
How will it be implemented?
Wu Weiren, member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chief designer of China's lunar exploration project, gave an in-depth interpretation in an interview with the media during the two sessions.
He introduced that the fourth phase of China's lunar exploration project officially passed the project approval at the end of last year, and began to enter the full implementation stage.
China plans to realize the marginal exploration of the solar system in 2049.
Lunar exploration enters "no man's land"
"The fourth phase of the lunar exploration project plans to make several landings at the south pole of the moon. After the landing, it is planned to build a basic type of lunar scientific research station at the south pole of the moon. This is the main goal of our entire fourth phase." Wu Weiren said.
Wu Weiren told reporters that the fourth phase of the lunar exploration project will be implemented in three steps. It is planned to launch Chang'e 6, Chang'e 7 and Chang'e 8 before 2030. The current development work is progressing relatively smoothly.
Among them, Chang'e-6 plans to sample and return in the lunar pole region, and strive to collect one to two kilograms of samples from the lunar pole region and return to the earth.
"Sampling and returning from the polar region, I think this is relatively difficult, but the value is also great." Wu Weiren said.
In addition to Chang'e 6, Wu Weiren introduced that Chang'e 7 plans to land at the lunar south pole to survey lunar resources, such as water ice surveys, as well as the environmental climate, topography and topography of the lunar south pole.
The main task of Chang'e 8 is to investigate how to utilize the resources of the lunar south pole.
"We hope to be able to analyze and study the existence of the lunar south pole resources on the spot, so as to lay the foundation for long-term work on the moon in the future, so the utilization of resources is particularly important." Wu Weiren said.
Lunar South Pole Landing Increases Mission Difficulty
The construction of an international lunar scientific research station at the lunar south pole is an important aspect of the fourth phase of China's lunar exploration project.
Why choose the South Pole of the Moon as a destination?
Wu Weiren explained that there is a tidal locking phenomenon on the moon. One side of the moon is always facing the earth, and the temperature is as high as more than 100 degrees Celsius under the influence of sunlight; the other side is always facing away from the earth. low temperature.
Such an environment is not conducive to long-term human habitation on the moon.
In contrast, there may be polar day and polar night at the south pole of the moon. During the polar day, there may be more than 180 consecutive days of light. Setting up a scientific research station here may be more conducive to long-term work.
"We also have a main goal of going to the south pole of the moon this time, which is to hope to find water at the south pole of the moon." Wu Weiren said that the south pole of the moon has deep craters, which were formed when the moon was formed, and there may be water in it.
And because the moon crater is about 10 kilometers deep and does not see sunlight all the year round, the water inside may exist in the form of water ice.
"If water can be found, I think the scientific research station at the south pole of the moon can run for a long time." Wu Weiren said, at the same time, this will also be beneficial for humans to conduct short-term expeditions to the south pole of the moon in the future.
But taking the lunar south pole as a destination also increases the difficulty of the launch mission.
"To land at the south pole of the moon, the accuracy of the landing point is very high. There are no large plains here, and the mountains are rugged everywhere, so it is difficult to find the landing point." Wu Weiren said that preliminary analysis believes that the previous lunar exploration mission landing. The point may be within 1 square kilometer, and the current landing point may only be 1/10 of the original.
Command center for various lunar exploration equipment
Wu Weiren introduced that the implementation of several missions in the fourth phase of the lunar exploration project will lay the foundation for the construction of an international lunar scientific research station.
Build a basic scientific research station first, and then gradually improve it.
"We hope to continue to implement several missions after 2030, and strive to build the international lunar scientific research station before 2035, and it can be operated for a long time after completion." Wu Weiren said.
According to Wu Weiren's vision, on the future international lunar scientific research station, multiple rovers, landers and leapers will work continuously and coordinated on the lunar surface, and there will be a command center to direct them to work together.
In addition, he also envisages that a lunar communication network may be established on the moon, such as setting up WiFi on the moon, so as to ensure the smooth command of the communication system, ensure the division of labor and cooperation of various landers, patrol vehicles, etc., and can also operate on the moon. The scientific research station conducts the exploitation and development of lunar resources and in situ scientific research.
"The core of all the work here is for space scientific exploration and the development and utilization of lunar resources, and scientific research and applied research must be given top priority. Otherwise, your past will be meaningless." Wu Weiren said.
or will become a transit station for deep space exploration
Wu Weiren revealed that many countries and international organizations have expressed their willingness to participate in the International Lunar Research Station.
"I think the International Lunar Research Station is of great significance." Wu Weiren believes that if the implementation is successful, it will have great scientific significance and will fully demonstrate China's scientific and technological strength in the aerospace field.
Talking about whether the international lunar scientific research station can be used as a transit station for deep space exploration in the future, Wu Weiren said, "This is a matter of time."
Wu Weiren analyzed that if the lunar scientific research station is used as a transit station for deep space exploration, it may involve taking off the deep space probe on the moon, solving the problem of fuel and propellant on the moon, and landing on the moon to rest after returning from deep space. , and take off after a while.
He told reporters that the moon's gravity is only 1/6 that of the earth, so it is easier for the probe to take off on the moon.
"This is a long-term thing, and the scientific community believes that it can be achieved." Wu Weiren said.