This star is going to the moon

Chapter 356 Chang'e 6 to Sample from the Far Side of the Moon and Return; Lu Yun's Commercial Lunar Exploration Plan
This International Astronautical Congress has garnered significant attention from Chinese and other netizens.

Not only did various aerospace companies broadcast live, but domestic aerospace enthusiasts also went to broadcast live.

In addition, news from various media outlets kept coming back, giving netizens in China plenty of juicy gossip to enjoy.

The UAE is also building a space airport. Do you think the Muyuan spacecraft will be able to take off from the coast and fly to the UAE in just a few tens of minutes? Regular commercial flights take eight or nine hours.

[Is the UAE also going to build a space airport?]

[You didn't know? This was news from a long time ago!]

Humans have a strong desire to "travel longer distances in a shorter time," which led to the development of supersonic passenger planes, twice the speed of current commercial airliners. Unfortunately, the project was abandoned after accidents occurred due to immature technology.

That's right, but the space shuttle is too expensive. Even some super-rich people can't afford $150 million. Going to space to see the scenery is fine, but spending $150 million just to save time doesn't seem worth it.

I think we shouldn't try to guess what the super-rich are thinking. What if $150 million is to them what $1500 is to us?

[Let alone the equivalent of 1500 yuan, an international flight can easily cost tens of thousands of yuan. If a truly wealthy person needs it at a crucial moment, 150 million US dollars is just a drop in the ocean.]

Anyway, the price of space shuttle tickets will definitely drop in the future. Lu Yun seems to have said that he will develop a large space shuttle that can carry dozens of people. Perhaps in a few decades, the price of a ticket to space will drop to 10, which is about the same as the price of a first-class ticket on an international flight now. At that time, there will definitely be "intercontinental" space flights that last for several tens of minutes.

[Things from decades in the future are too far off. People in the 1960s and 70s thought we'd be living in Martian cities now, but humanity is struggling to even return to the moon, and the SLS rocket launch has been delayed again.]

I saw that news too. The maiden flight was originally scheduled for next fall, but it's been postponed to the year after.

Boeing is truly incompetent. The continuous delays to the SLS are impacting a whole host of missions. Will the US even be able to return to the moon in 2024 or 2025?

It's hard to say. Let's wait and see what our country announces about the subsequent Chang'e missions. Maybe we can find some clues about our country's manned lunar landing. Is the press conference about to start?

Yes, five minutes...

Debai, the scene of the press conference of the Laos-China Space Agency.

"...With the return of lunar soil by Chang'e 5, the first three phases of my country's lunar exploration program—orbiting, landing, and returning—have been successfully completed."

The deputy director of the space agency introduced to the big screen: "After the successful conclusion of the third phase of the lunar exploration program, the fourth phase of the lunar exploration program has been fully launched, and my country's space program is embarking on a new journey of interplanetary exploration."

"The country has approved the fourth phase of the lunar exploration program, including the Chang'e 6, Chang'e 7, and Chang'e 8 missions!"

"The three missions of the fourth phase of the lunar exploration program will be implemented in succession over the next ten years. The purpose of these missions is to lay the foundation for building a lunar research station."

"We have now confirmed that Chang'e 6 will be launched in 2022. It will go to the far side of the moon to collect samples and return them. If the plan is successful, humanity will obtain lunar soil samples from the far side of the moon for the first time..."

Upon hearing the deputy director mention the Chang'e 6 mission plan, the aerospace scientists and enthusiasts present became excited.

Because whether it was the Russians, the Americans, or the Chinese now, whether it was manned or unmanned collection, the lunar soil samples obtained by humans have all been from the near side of the moon.

In other words, the moon is always "facing" the side of the Earth.

Unfortunately, the moon is tidally locked, so it always only has one side facing the Earth, making the "dark side" seem very mysterious.

If the Chang'e 6 mission succeeds in two years, the far side of the moon may unveil its mysteries to humankind.

I'm so excited just thinking about it!
However, the information that journalists and ordinary people focus on is quite different.

Going to the far side of the moon to collect samples and bring them back is indeed a good thing, and it would be great if it were a "first for mankind" if successful, but this mission is still unmanned, which is a bit of a shame.

Therefore, their focus is on carrying out these three lunar exploration missions within ten years, and the purpose of these missions is to "lay the foundation for building a lunar research station".

Of course, space enthusiasts aren't space scientists; they're somewhere between ordinary people and industry insiders. If they're also involved in social media, then they're all part of the same group. One space enthusiast, who was live-streaming, whispered to the viewers, "You all heard that, right? Laying the foundation for building a lunar research station within ten years—does that mean our country will land a manned moon within ten years?"

Upon hearing the host's question, the chat room quickly filled with comments.

[Ten years? That means it won't be until 2030 that a manned lunar landing will be possible?]

"No way, that's too slow."

I don't think so either. A manned lunar landing would definitely happen before the construction of a lunar research station.

Indeed, referring to Antarctic scientific expeditions, the usual practice is to first send people up to survey the area before selecting a location to build a research station.

This model is reasonable.

Given Lu Sheng's temperament, he couldn't possibly wait another ten years before launching a manned lunar landing.

But this is science, and it can't be swayed by any one person's temperament.

[Lu Yun has already stated that the Long March 10 rocket (bare-bones version) will have its maiden flight in January next year. It's estimated that the heavy-lift lunar probe will be ready in about two more years.]

I think so too. With Lu Yun involved, I believe we can compete with the Americans in 2024.

Brothers, this isn't like decades ago. Could our country's lunar research station be unmanned, with no real people involved?

【Ah this...】

The limitations of unmanned equipment are too great; it will inevitably involve human intervention.

That's right, our country's journey is to the stars and the sea, so we must first send people to the moon...

[Hey, Lu Yun actually went on stage! Is Lu Yun involved in the Chang'e mission again?]

[Was there a mini lunar rover on Chang'e 6?]

[No way, his current status is hardly befitting of someone working on a mini lunar rover.]

Just listen quietly...

Lu Yun went on stage and, as if he had guessed what some people were going to say, said, "Don't worry, this time it's not about hitching a ride on Chang'e 6's mini lunar rover. I don't have time for those little toys right now."

"Hahaha~"

The audience below burst into laughter at Lu Yun's self-deprecating remarks.

It's true that some people have complained that the mini lunar rover is just a "toy".

Lu Yun gestured for them to be quiet and then said, "Actually, the fourth phase of the space agency's lunar exploration program is not just about these three Chang'e missions, but also includes a plan called 'Lunar Navigation and Resource Exploration'."

"This project will be completed by Bluestar Aerospace in cooperation with the space agency. We will work together to develop a lunar orbital navigation satellite to provide accurate navigation and positioning for future lunar scientific expeditions."

"The equipment responsible for lunar scientific research activities is the commercial lunar lander and commercial lunar rover designed and manufactured by BlueStar Space."

"This time it's not a small car, it's a big truck!"

(End of this chapter)