Recently, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Space Administration, and the China Manned Space Engineering Office jointly released the “National Medium- and Long-Term Development Plan for Space Science (2024-2050).” This plan outlines five key scientific themes and 17 priority development directions where China is expected to achieve significant breakthroughs. Notably, within the theme of “Habitability of Planets,” the focus on areas such as solar system archaeology and the search for extraterrestrial life has drawn considerable attention.

Deep space exploration has emerged as a critical frontier in global technological competition. From lunar missions to the exploration of planets and asteroids, China’s deep space initiatives are entering a new phase, continually enhancing humanity’s understanding and exploration of the solar system and the universe.

**Lunar Exploration as the Starting Point**

At the recent 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy, the samples returned by China’s Chang’e 6 mission from the far side of the moon were displayed globally for the first time, garnering interest from heads of various space agencies and international organizations.

On June 25th this year, Chang’e 6 successfully brought back 1935.3 grams of lunar samples from the moon’s far side, marking the first time humanity has retrieved samples from this region. Yang Xiaoyu, Director of the National Space Administration’s System Engineering Department, stated that scientists are currently organizing and analyzing these samples. Initial physical and chemical composition studies have been conducted, revealing insights into the moon’s early evolution and volcanic activity on its far side, including basalt samples that document the volcanic history at the sampling site and other non-basalt materials from different regions.

For centuries, humanity has relentlessly pursued lunar exploration. With a history spanning over two decades, China’s lunar exploration program has continually achieved new milestones, deepening scientific understanding of the moon and the evolution of the solar system.

Looking ahead, China plans to launch Chang’e 7 in 2026 and Chang’e 8 around 2028. Chang’e 7 will focus on exploring the moon’s south polar environment and resources, while Chang’e 8 aims to validate technologies for in-situ resource utilization. Together, these missions are part of the proposed lunar research station being developed.

The international lunar research station is currently under feasibility studies, with significant progress achieved in international collaboration. China has already signed cooperation agreements with 17 countries and international organizations to engage in extensive partnerships covering joint task validation, research station design, project technical cooperation, mission planning, and scientific data sharing.

By 2030, China aims to achieve its first crewed moon landing. Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson for the China Manned Space Engineering Office, emphasized the unique advantages astronauts will bring to lunar surface exploration, creating a broader historical opportunity for investigating extraterrestrial bodies.

Lunar exploration serves as a starting point for deep space exploration. Academician Ouyang Ziyuan, the first chief scientist of the Chang’e program, has stated that lunar exploration is just the beginning, with ambitions extending to the broader solar system. China is well-positioned to explore and collect samples from Mars, asteroids, and beyond, confidently venturing into the vastness of the solar system.

From a spatial perspective, the moon is relatively close to Earth at a distance of about 384,000 kilometers. However, its conditions are not suited for human habitation and are challenging to modify. According to Ouyang, the moon will become a “transit station” for humanity in space, serving as a stepping stone towards Mars.

**New Frontiers in Interstellar Exploration**

In 2020, the Tianwen-1 Mars probe successfully launched, achieving orbit, landing, and enabling the Zhurong rover to conduct exploration, making history as China’s first footprint on Mars and marking a significant leap from lunar to interplanetary exploration.

Yang Xiaoyu noted that future plans include the launch of Tianwen-2, Tianwen-3, and Tianwen-4. Tianwen-2 will focus on sampling an asteroid and studying its evolution along with early solar system history, while Tianwen-3 will focus on Mars sample return and environmental exploration. Tianwen-4 aims to study Jupiter and its moons, including investigations into Jupiter’s structure and its gravitational fields.

Wu Weiren, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the chief designer of the Chang’e program, previously mentioned that China is planning to establish the world’s first Mars sample laboratory while also refining the Tianwen-4 mission, which will aim to orbit Jupiter and its moons before eventually reaching Uranus. Considering the advancements made by various countries, China is poised to be the first to return samples from Mars.

Why focus on asteroid exploration? Wu explained that while the likelihood of an asteroid striking Earth is minimal, the potential consequences could be catastrophic. In response, China has initiated an asteroid defense plan, projecting to conduct a kinetic impact on an asteroid located tens of millions of kilometers away around 2027 to alter its trajectory and assess the impact’s effects.

Moreover, as asteroids lack a significant atmosphere, craters and foreign elements on their surface are better preserved. Experts note that many planetary bodies contain radioactive elements that generate heat, leading to evolutionary processes that obscure the early history of the solar system. In contrast, asteroids, with lower energy and minimal thermal activity, have likely remained largely unchanged, retaining conditions from the solar system’s formation. Exploring asteroids can thus provide deeper insights into the origins of the solar system and the emergence of life on Earth.