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Exciting news! China's first female astronaut to travel to space, Liu Yang, revealed that China aims to establish a manned lunar base by 2035! Additionally, Chang'e 7 will head directly to the Moon's South Pole this year to search for water ice. China has the potential to become the first country in the world to find water on the Moon, something that the United States did not achieve during its six crewed landings.

While many people are still discussing "When will the Chinese reach the Moon," Chinese space professionals have already set their sights on a more distant future — how to live on the Moon long-term! Future Chinese astronauts will stay on the Moon for extended periods, working and living like they do in the Tiangong space station, rather than just "planting a flag and taking photos before returning."

Why is finding water on the Moon so crucial?

Water is not only the source of life but also the "lifeline" of future lunar bases. With water ice, it is possible to extract oxygen on-site, produce rocket fuel, and even grow crops, achieving resource recycling. Otherwise, everything would have to be transported from Earth — which would be extremely expensive, with a bottle of water potentially costing millions of yuan on the Moon!

Water can be consumed directly, and through electrolysis, it can also provide oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen is used for breathing, while hydrogen can serve as an important component of rocket fuel. In other words, if there is indeed a large amount of water ice on the Moon, future lunar bases could potentially achieve partial self-sufficiency in resources.

Ye Peijian, chief commander and chief designer consultant of the Chang'e project and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: "Scientists around the world believe there is water on the Moon, but no one has ever obtained it. The Chinese will go and find this water."

Sun Zezhou, a researcher at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's Fifth Institute, introduced that Chang'e 7 will survey the lunar surface environment and lunar soil water ice, conduct high-precision exploration, and lay the foundation for the construction of the international lunar research station. For this mission to find water at the Moon's South Pole, the Chinese space community has developed the unique "four instruments and one satellite" configuration for Chang'e 7: orbiter, lander, rover, flying vehicle, and a relay satellite.

Here's the key point! The Moon's South Pole has numerous permanently shadowed craters, where sunlight never reaches, and temperatures can drop as low as -240°C. Scientists speculate that these areas may contain large amounts of water ice. However, previous spacecraft have never truly entered them. The flying vehicle of Chang'e 7 will fly into the bottom of the shadowed craters for the first time, conducting close-range exploration of the location, quantity, and distribution of water ice. This is a historic first for humanity!

American Artemis Program Faces Frequent Setbacks

While China is steadily advancing, the United States' return-to-Moon program has encountered repeated problems. According to a recent audit report (published in March 2026) by NASA, the biggest shortcoming of the Artemis crewed lunar landing plan — the Starship human landing system project — is significantly behind schedule.

According to the plan, SpaceX's Starship human landing system should support the Artemis 3 mission scheduled for June 2027, aiming to return Americans to the Moon. However, even reaching 2028 now seems highly uncertain.

The report points out multiple core issues: Starship is 52 meters tall (equivalent to 14 floors), and there is a significant risk of tipping over when landing in the rugged terrain of the Moon's South Pole; astronauts would need to descend to the lunar surface via a 35-meter elevator, and if the elevator fails, they would be unable to return! NASA has classified this as a "primary risk."

More seriously, there is no capability for space emergency rescue! If American astronauts encounter any issues on the Moon, the emergency supplies would last only 60 days, while the preparation time for a rescue ship exceeds 12 months, far exceeding the survival limit. According to the report, NASA has already invested 6.9 billion USD, and is expected to add up to 18.3 billion USD by the 2030 fiscal year, but the schedule delay has exceeded 24 months. Although costs are controlled, safety risks are accumulating.

By 2035, China's Lunar Base Will Be Man-Visited

In contrast, China does not engage in a "space race," but instead progresses step by step, achieving crewed moon landing before 2030, and further building a lunar base in the future. Chang'e 7 is just the beginning. Chang'e 8 is planned to be launched around 2029, working together with Chang'e 7 to validate resource development at the Moon's South Pole, paving the way for a manned lunar base by 2035.

According to China's space plan, in the coming decades, an international lunar research station will gradually be established. This project is expected to be divided into several stages: the first stage, achieving China's crewed moon landing around 2030. The second stage, constructing a basic-type lunar research station around 2035. The third stage, expanding it into a fully functional lunar base by around 2045.

During this process, astronauts will gradually achieve long-term stays. This is exactly what Liu Yang mentioned — a "manned lunar base." At that time, Chinese astronauts will work and live in the international lunar research station at the Moon's South Pole, using local water ice to produce oxygen, fuel, and food.

While the United States is still struggling with the elevator and rescue capabilities for lunar landers, China has already laid the groundwork for long-term presence in the "vast universe." This is the most exciting aspect of China's space program — we don't just want to visit, but to truly reside!

The universe is vast, and Chinese space professionals are telling the world with practical actions: the future of human space exploration should not be a "one-time trip," but the construction of a sustainable home.

Let us witness China's great leap from "moon landing" to "living on the Moon"!

Original article: toutiao.com/article/7616037464766956051/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.