China is set to launch a series of landmark space missions in 2025, including the asteroid-sampling Tianwen-2 probe and two crewed spacecraft, as part of an ambitious push to advance planetary exploration and international collaboration, officials announced Thursday.
Mission Highlights
Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), revealed plans for the Tianwen-2 mission to conduct an asteroid flyby and surface sample collection. Concurrently, the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 crewed missions will bolster China's human spaceflight capabilities, building on its completed Tiangong space station.
Global Partnerships
Key international projects include the China-Europe Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) mission to study solar-terrestrial interactions and a China-Italy electromagnetic satellite designed to aid earthquake prediction research. CNSA also pledged to deepen lunar exploration cooperation with Belt and Road Initiative partners and BRICS nations, including joint development of an international lunar research station.
Strategic Support
The BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation will expand real-time disaster monitoring data sharing, while China plans to offer tailored satellite services to BRI partners to advance agricultural innovation and smart city development. These efforts align with broader goals to enhance regional space infrastructure resilience.
Space Day Events
The announcements coincided with preparations for China's 10th Space Day on April 24 in Shanghai, featuring exhibitions showcasing domestic space technology achievements and forums addressing frontier scientific topics.
