Having launched its first astronaut or taikonaut in 2003, China’s space program has evolved dramatically over the past two decades. Building on early achievements in ballistic missile and rocket programs, Beijing now aims to make the Middle Kingdom the world’s foremost space power by 2045. The country has successfully deployed robotic rovers to the dark side of the Moon (2019) and to Mars (2021), and now plans to launch probes to Jupiter and Uranus (2030). In fact, China’s space station, Tiangong (Chinese for “celestial palace”), will soon be the world’s only laboratory in low-Earth orbit.
(Geostrategies) La rivalità sino-americana alimenta una nuova guerra fredda nello spazio (fonte: Daniel Araya, CIGI)
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