HELSINKI -- China has unveiled a long-term roadmap to guide its space science programs up to 2050, including a mission to collect a sample of the Venusian atmosphere.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the China National Space Administration (CNSA), and the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) jointly announced the National Space Science Medium- and Long-Term Development Plan (2024-2050) in a press conference on October 15.
According to Ding Chibiao, CAS vice president, China's space science research is still in its infancy, with a relatively small number of space science satellites. The plan aims to fill existing gaps and establish China as a space powerhouse.
The roadmap outlines five major scientific themes and 17 priority development directions. Missions focusing on the extreme universe, the nature of matter, habitable planets, studying the Sun, and space exploration will be implemented in three stages: up to 2027, 2028-2035, and 2036-2050.
The first phase (up to 2027) includes known missions such as a crewed lunar mission by 2030, space station operations including a Hubble-class telescope, and key scientific projects. Notable projects include a space gravitational wave detection pathfinder and a solar polar orbiter. Smaller missions may involve dark matter particle detection and exoplanet studies.
Five missions are currently approved and under development: Discovering Sky at the Longest Wavelength (DSL), Enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP), Solar Polar Orbiter (SPO), Taiji-2, and Earth 2.0. These missions will explore cosmic dark ages, study black holes, observe the Sun, detect gravitational waves, and survey Earth-like exoplanets.
The second phase (2028-2035) aims for breakthroughs in advanced space missions, including the Tianwen-4 mission to Jupiter, solar system boundary exploration, the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), and the Venus atmospheric sample return mission. Additional possibilities include asteroid exploration and exoplanet moon detection.
The final phase (2036-2050) targets global leadership in space science with 5-6 large-scale missions and various smaller projects.
Notably, a previously considered Venus orbiter named VOICE has been replaced by a more ambitious Venus atmosphere sample return mission during phase two. Details of the mission proposal remain undisclosed, although a 2022 MIT proposal outlined a method for sampling the Venusian atmosphere.
China is also working towards a Mars sample return mission set for 2028, aiming to deliver the first-ever samples to Earth by 2031, with a focus on astrobiology.
The broader program will encourage international cooperation and exchanges in space science. Wang Chi, director of the National Space Science Center (NSSC) under CAS, emphasized the importance of sharing achievements in space science for the benefit of humanity.