Pakistan and China have entered into a cooperative agreement to embark on asignificant lunar project, specifically the construction of a researchstation on the South Pole of the moon. This milestone agreement wasformally signed by the two nations, with Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ulHaq Kakar and Chinese Premier Li Qiang presiding over the signing ceremonyin Beijing.
China has set ambitious goals in its space exploration endeavors, aiming toestablish itself as a prominent space power by the year 2030. To achievethis, China has already fostered collaboration with various countries,including Russia, Venezuela, and South Africa. Their objective includeslanding Chinese astronauts on the moon before the close of this decade.
The timeline for the lunar research station project closely aligns withNASA’s Artemis program, which seeks to return American astronauts to thelunar surface by December 2025. This global endeavor intensifies thecompetitive nature of lunar exploration.
Moreover, China is preparing for its Cheng E6 lunar mission, scheduled forlaunch in the first half of 2024. Notably, this mission boasts a uniquefeature by including a Pakistani satellite among its payload. The ChinaNational Space Administration (CNSA) has confirmed that the Cheng E6mission remains on schedule for its journey to the moon.
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This mission exemplifies the spirit of international cooperation in spaceexploration, as it carries payloads from several nations, such as Pakistan,the European Space Agency (ESA), France, and Italy. Among the scientificinstruments on board Cheng E6, French equipment will be used for testingradioactive gas. Additionally, the ESA’s Negative Ion Detector and Italy’sValle Brett Radar System are part of this lunar adventure.
A particularly significant component of this mission is the inclusion ofPakistan’s CubeSat satellite, which will be dispatched to orbit the moon.This cooperation underscores the growing global interest in lunarexploration and collaborative efforts to advance scientific understandingand space exploration capabilities.