China wants first moonwalk in 2024

published by Asianpost on Mon, 06/19/2006 - 17:35

Chinese astronaut

Yang Liwei

A top official in China's space programme has set 2024 for the country's first moonwalk, a Hong Kong newspaper reported.

The mission would kick off in earnest next year, the Wen Wei Po paper said.

It will be in 2007 when China launches an unmanned lunar satellite in March or April to orbit and survey the lunar surface.

"China now basically possesses the technology, materials and the economic strength" to put a man on the moon, the Hong Kong newspaper quoted Long Lehao, deputy chief architect of the lunar probing project.

Long said the first lunar probe "Chang'e-I" will be ready and be launched between April and June 2007.

He said China's moon probing project will move onto its second stage from 2009 to 2015, and the third stage will begin in 2017 when robots will be sent to the moon and come back with moon samples.

When the fourth stage begin in 2024, he said, China will be able to send astronauts to the moon and then return to the earth.