A Chinese spacecraft with a three-person crew, including the country’s first female space engineer, has docked after a journey of more than six hours.
For six months, the crew will use the domestic space station as a base to perform spacewalks and experiments as Beijing builds intelligence and experience for its ultimate goal of landing a person on the moon by 2030.
The launch of Shenzhou 19 was hailed as a “complete success” by Beijing, which plans to launch 100 spacecraft in a record-breaking year as it attempts to surpass its rival, the United States.
The BBC was given exclusive access to the Jiuquan Satellite launch centre in Gansu, and we were just over a kilometre away when the spacecraft took off.
While Indian youth have been deployed in determining khatra kisse hai, fighting each other and dancing mujra before mosques, the Chinese have sent three 34 year old astronauts to a space station in Earth orbit. pic.twitter.com/efrPjUbxjh
— Rajiv Tyagi (@rajivtango) October 30, 2024
As the rocket took to the skies, flames erupted from the rocket launcher, illuminating the Gobi Desert with a thunderous roar.
As the taikonauts—China’s term for astronauts—were launched, hundreds of people lined the streets, cheering and waving their names.
Three additional astronauts who are manning the Shenzhou 18 and will return to Earth on November 4th met with the Shenzhou 19 crew at the Tiangong space station.
Just two years ago, President Xi Jinping declared that “to explore the vast cosmos, develop the space industry and build China into a space power is our eternal dream.”.
But some in Washington see the country’s ambition and fast-paced progress as a real threat.
Fearing Beijing wants to stake territorial claims, NASA chief Bill Nelson stated earlier this year that the US and China were “in effect, in a race” to return to the Moon.
He told lawmakers, “I think their civilian space program is also a military program.”
The three #China's #Shenzhou12 astronauts have completed their three-month space mission &returned to #Earth safely today noontime. My congratulations! pic.twitter.com/g5y83HIWHS
— Ambassador Hou Yanqi (@China2ASEAN) September 17, 2021
‘Dreams that spark glory’
But China’s space programme is celebrated in Dongfeng Space City, a town constructed to support the launch site.
The national flag is displayed on each street light.
Plastic rockets are the focal point of most traffic roundabouts, and cartoonish astronaut sculptures and figurines can be found in the middle of children’s parks.
A huge poster with a picture of the Shenzhou spacecraft on one side and Xi Jinping on the other greets you as you pull into the main compound.
As the Taikonauts take their final steps on Earth before travelling to the launch site, hundreds of people have gathered in the dark after midnight to wave flags and colourful lights.
Young children who were kept up late for the event, with the Chinese flag draped across their cheeks, all shout in unison as the brass band plays Ode to the Motherland.
This is a time to celebrate our country.
The pilot of this mission, Cai Xuzhe, is a veteran but he’s travelling with a new generation of Chinese-trained taikonauts born in 1990, including China’s first female space engineer, Wang Haoze.
Ahead of takeoff, he told the assembled media, “Their youthful energy has made me feel younger and even more confident.”
“We promise the party and the people that we will remain true to our mission, with our hearts and minds fully devoted. Motivated by dreams that inspire glory and by glory that inspires new dreams, we will work to accomplish new feats in China’s crewed space program.”
Song Lingdong is standing to his left, grinning.
He remembers being 13 years old and experiencing “excitement and awe” while watching one of China’s first space station missions. He chose to become a pilot in the hope that this is how he could serve his country.
China declares success as its youngest astronauts reach spacehttps://t.co/VvByu9MAhq pic.twitter.com/WXoJ7nXxgw
— Uzalendo News (@UzalendoNews_KE) October 30, 2024
This will be its “youngest crew” to date, and state media has emphasised that all three express their strong sense of patriotism.
The message is unambiguous: this is an investment in the future of the nation and a new generation of space travellers.
China has already selected its next group of astronauts and they will train for potential lunar missions as well as to crew the space station.
“I am determined not to let down the trust placed in me,” says Mr. Song. “I will strive to make our country’s name shine once again in space.”
China’s name has been “shining brightly” a lot lately when it comes to headlines about its space programme.
Earlier this year, the country achieved a historic first by retrieving rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon.
In 2021, China safely landed a spacecraft on Mars and released its Zhurong rover, becoming just the second nation to do so.
China also has a fleet of satellites in space and plans for many more.
In August, it launched the first 18 of what it hopes will eventually be a constellation of 14,000 satellites providing broadband internet coverage from space, which it hopes will one day rival SpaceX’s Starlink.
Elon Musk, Starlink’s chief executive, admitted on his own platform X that China’s space programme is far more advanced than people realise.
But others in the US are voicing even greater concerns, as they fear this technology can be weaponised.
The head of US Space Command, General Stephen Whiting, told a space symposium in April that China and Russia were both investing heavily in space at a “breath-taking speed.”.
He claimed that since 2018, China has tripled the amount of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellites it has in orbit, building a “kill web over the Pacific Ocean to find, fix, track, and target United States and allied military capabilities.”.
The new space race
China’s space exploration is a “collective mission for humanity”, says Li Yingliang, director of the general technology bureau of China’s Manned Space Agency, dismissing US concerns as “unnecessary”.
“I don’t think this should be called a competition… China has long upheld the notion of peaceful use of space in its manned space programme. In the future, we will further develop international co-operation in various aspects of manned space technology, all based on sharing and collaboration,” he adds.
But the new space race is no longer about getting to the Moon. It’s about who will control its resources.
Rare earths, metals like iron and titanium, and helium—which is used in everything from superconductors to medical devices—are among the minerals found on the moon.The Moon contains minerals, including rare earths, metals like iron and titanium, and helium too, which is used in everything from superconductors to medical equipment.
Estimates for the value of all this vary wildly, from billions to quadrillions. So it’s easy to see why some see the Moon as a place to make lots of money. However, it’s also important to note that this would be a very long-term investment, and the tech needed to extract and return these lunar resources is some way off, writes the BBC’s science editor Rebecca Morelle.
The launch centre’s Chinese experts were eager to highlight the advantages of Beijing’s space station experiments.
“We study bones, muscles, nerve cells, and the effects of microgravity on them. Through this research, we’ve discovered that osteoporosis on Earth is actually similar to bone loss in space. If we can uncover unique patterns in space, we might be able to develop special medications to counteract bone loss and muscle atrophy,” said Zhang Wei, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“A large number of these experimental findings are applicable on Earth.”
China is, at times, trying to downplay its advances.
Ding Chibiao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences stated that the nation does not have many accomplishments “compared to developed nations.” This was stated at the launch of a roadmap for its space ambitions, which include constructing a research station on the Moon, sending samples of Venus’ atmosphere back to Earth, and launching more than 30 space missions by the middle of this century.
They acknowledge “significant challenges” in their efforts to land a crew on the moon, even here at the launch centre.
The China Manned Space Agency spokesperson, Lin Xiqiang, stated, “There are many challenges, a tight schedule, and complex technology.”
“We will continue the ‘two bombs and one star’ theme. We will continue to work together, keep moving forward, and remain confident and dedicated to improving ourselves. We will soon bring the Chinese people’s dream of landing on the moon to fruition.”
That may be the reason why, despite the nation’s economy gradually contracting, President Xi seems to be giving the space programme top priority.
“In addition, there are significant limitations despite the fact that they are bringing in international media to observe their advancements.
Instead of being left on the launch site for a few hours, we were kept in a hotel three hours away and driven back and forth by bus for a total of twelve hours.
The straightforward excursion to a welcoming neighbourhood eatery was meticulously protected by a queue of security guards.
A big sign in the town that reads, “It is a crime to leak secrets,” caught our attention as well. Maintaining confidentiality is a privilege. If you divulge secrets, you will go to jail. If you keep secrets, you will be content. If you sell secrets, you will be shot.
With its new technology, China is not taking any chances because its rivalry with the United States is not limited to this world.
Soon, the two most powerful nations in the world may be claiming territory far beyond this planet.