On October 15, recent updates from the Chinese Academy of Sciences reveal that the Academy, along with the National Space Administration and the Manned Space Engineering Office, has jointly launched China’s first national space science plan, titled “National Space Science Medium- and Long-Term Development Plan (2024–2050).”
According to the plan, a detailed roadmap for the development of space science in China has been outlined through to 2050.
In the first phase, leading up to 2027, China aims to operate the Chinese Space Station while executing significant missions such as manned lunar exploration, Phase 4 of the lunar exploration project, and planetary exploration. The goal is to achieve several original results with substantial international impact.
The plan highlights the selection of 2 to 3 major tasks from areas such as coordinated multi-wavelength observations of space X-ray emissions, X-ray baryon detection, gravitational wave detection from space, and solar polar exploration. Additionally, it aims to identify 3 to 5 medium-sized and opportunistic tasks in fields including dark matter particle detection, high-speed terahertz imaging in space, ultra-long wave observations, infrared space observations, and more.
The second phase, from 2028 to 2035, focuses on leveraging the achievements from the initial phase to produce world-leading original results. The operation of the Chinese Space Station will continue, with scientific missions planned for manned lunar exploration, establishing a lunar research station, exploring the outskirts of the solar system, and returning atmospheric samples from Venus.
During this period, the plan anticipates the selection of 4 to 5 major tasks from areas such as high-precision infrared space observations, comprehensive observation of the tidal forces of celestial bodies triggering earthquakes, and solar system observations. Additionally, it will identify around 10 to 11 medium-sized and opportunistic tasks in diverse fields, including ultraviolet astronomy, ocean energy constellations, and asteroid exploration.
The third phase, from 2036 to 2050, sets an ambitious target for China to reach a world-leading status in critical areas of space science. This includes validating and implementing 5 to 6 major tasks, along with about 25 medium-sized and opportunistic missions.
