Hopes To Mount A Moon Mission In 2018, Has Sights Set On Mars

China has a plan to become a major player in space, according to a white paper released last week by the government in Beijing.

The document outlines China's plans for the peaceful use of space over the next five years, and opposes a space arms race, according to a report from the Voice of America.

At a news conference after the report was released, Wu Yanhua, the deputy administrator of China National Space Administration, said "China would like to work with the international community to jointly promote the development of the global space industry, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, the peaceful use [of outer space], [and] inclusive development."

The report includes detailed plans for a soft landing on the dark side of the Moon in 2018, as well an the launch of an unmanned probe to Mars in 2020.

Wu said that China's goal is to become a "Top 3" aerospace power by 2030, and said private investors were welcome to participate in the program.

China has has some success in space in the 21st century. They launched their first crewed space mission in 2003. More recently, two of its astronauts stayed for a month aboard the country's Tiangong 2 experimental space station. A chinese astronaut has also conducted a spacewalk, and the Yutu rover was landed on the Moon in 2013.

(Images from file)

FMI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_National_Space_Administration