Reuters
BBC gained rare access to Jiuquan satellite launch center
The ground vibrates beneath us as soon as the countdown ends and the spaceship takes flight. Flames burst from the rocket launcher, lighting up the Gobi Desert, which then filled with a deafening roar.
The BBC has been granted rare access to the Jiuquan satellite launch center in Gansu and we are just over a kilometer from liftoff.
The crew of the Shenzhou 19 spacecraft is made up of three taikonauts – the Chinese word for astronauts – who are the latest in a series of explorers heading to the nation's space station, Tiangong, or “Heavenly Palace.”
They will use it as a base for six months to conduct experiments and perform spacewalks as the country attempts to gain experience and intelligence for its eventual mission to send a Chinese man to the Moon. here 2030.
Just two years ago, President Xi Jinping declared that “exploring the vast cosmos, developing the space industry, and building China into a space power is our eternal dream.”
But some in Washington see the country's ambition and rapid progress as a real threat.
Earlier this year, NASA chief Bill Nelson said the United States and China were “actually in a race” to return to the Moon, where he fears Beijing wants to claim territory.
He told lawmakers he believed their civilian space program was also a military program.
EFE
Astronauts (LR) Wang Haoze, Song Lingdong and Cai Xuzhe salute before launch
“Dreams that spark glory”
However, in Dongfeng Space City, a city built to support the launch site, China's space program is celebrated.
Each lamp post is decorated with the national flag.
Cartoon-like astronaut figurines and sculptures sit at the center of children's parks, and plastic rockets are the centerpiece of most roundabouts.
A huge poster with Xi Jinping on one side and a photo of the Shenzhou spacecraft on the other greets you as you enter the main compound.
Hundreds of people gathered in the darkness after midnight to wave flags and brightly colored lights as the taikonauts take their final steps on Earth before heading to the launch site.
The brass band sings the Ode to the Fatherland while young children, staying up late for the occasion, their cheeks decorated with the Chinese flag, all shout in full song.
It is a moment of national pride.
The pilot of this mission, Cai Xuzhe, is a veteran, but he is traveling with a new generation of Chinese-trained taikonauts born in 1990, including China's first female space engineer, Wang Haoze.
“Their youthful energy made me feel younger and even more confident,” he told the assembled media before takeoff.
“Inspired by dreams that spark glory and by glory that ignites new dreams, we assure the party and the people that we will remain true to our mission, with a fully devoted heart and mind. We will strive to achieve new achievements in China's manned space program.
To his left, beaming, is Song Lingdong.
He remembers watching one of China's first space station missions when he was 13, with “enthusiasm and respect.” He chose to become a pilot in the hope that he would be able to serve his country.
All three express their deep sense of national pride, and state media has highlighted that this will be their “youngest crew” yet.
The message is clear: this is a new generation of space travelers and an investment in the country's future.
China has already selected its next group of astronauts and they will train for possible lunar missions as well as the space station crew.
“I am determined not to disappoint the trust placed in me,” says Song. “I will strive to make our country’s name shine again in space.”
BBC/Xiqing Wang
China's name has been “shining” a lot lately when it comes to headlines regarding its space program.
Earlier this year, the country achieved a historic first by recovering rock and soil samples from the far side of the Moon.
In 2021, China safely landed a spacecraft on Mars and released its Zhurong rover, becoming the second country to do so.
China also has a fleet of satellites in space and plans to build many more.
In August, the company launched the first 18 of a constellation of 14,000 satellites providing high-speed internet coverage from space, which it hopes will one day rival SpaceX's Starlink.
Elon Musk, CEO of Starlink, admitted on his own Platform X that China's space program is much further along than many think.
But others in the United States are expressing even greater concerns because they fear the technology could be used as a weapon.
The head of US Space Command, General Stephen Whiting, said at a space symposium in April that China and Russia were investing heavily in space at a “breathtaking speed.”
He claimed that since 2018, China has tripled the number of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites in orbit, building a “deadly web over the Pacific Ocean to find, repair, track and target capabilities.” military of the United States and its allies.
The new space race
China's space exploration is a “collective mission for humanity”, said Li Yingliang, director of the General Technology Office of the China Manned Space Agency, dismissing US concerns as “unnecessary”.
“I don't think this should be called a competition…China has long championed the notion of peaceful use of space in its manned space program. In the future, we will further develop international cooperation in various aspects of manned space technology, all based on sharing and collaboration,” he adds.
But the new space race is no longer about reaching the Moon. It's about who will control their resources.
The Moon contains minerals including rare earths, metals like iron and titanium, and helium, which is used in everything from superconductors to medical equipment.
Estimates of the value of all of this vary wildly, from billions to quadrillions. So it's easy to understand why some see the Moon as a place to make big money. However, it is also important to note that this would be a very long-term investment – and the technology needed to extract and return these lunar resources is still a long way off, writes Rebecca Morelle, science editor at the BBC.
Chinese experts at the launch center were keen to highlight the benefits of Beijing's space station experiments.
“We study bones, muscles, nerve cells and the effects of microgravity on them. Through this research, we discovered that osteoporosis on Earth is actually similar to bone loss in space. If we can discover unique patterns in space, we may be able to develop special drugs to combat bone loss and muscle atrophy,” said Zhang Wei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“Many of these experimental results can be applied on Earth.”
BBC/Xiqing Wang
China sometimes tries to downplay its progress.
As it launched a roadmap for its space ambitions, which include building a research station on the Moon, returning samples of Venus' atmosphere to Earth and launching more than 30 space missions by the middle of this century, Ding Chibiao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said the country did not have a large number of achievements “compared with developed countries.”
And even here at the launch center, they admit to having “significant challenges” as they attempt to land a crew on the Moon.
“The technology is complex, the schedule is tight and the challenges are many,” said Lin Xiqiang, a spokesperson for the China Human Space Mission Agency.
“We will keep the “two bombs and one star” spirit. We will maintain our belief in ourselves and our commitment to improve, continue to work together and continue to move forward. We will make the Chinese people's dream of landing on the Moon come true in the near future.”
Perhaps this is why President Xi appears to be prioritizing the country's space program, even as the economy experiences a slow decline.
And while they invite the international press to witness their progress, there are significant restrictions.
We were put up in a hotel three hours from the launch site and transported there and back by bus, a total journey of 12 hours, rather than staying there for a few hours.
A simple trip to a friendly local restaurant was carefully guarded by a line of security personnel.
We also noticed that a large sign in town bore a stern warning: “It is a crime to divulge secrets.” It's an honor to keep secrets. You will be imprisoned if you divulge secrets. You will be happy if you keep secrets. You will be shot if you sell secrets.
China is not taking any chances with its new technology, as its rivalry with the United States is no longer just here on Earth.
The two most powerful countries in the world could soon claim territories far beyond this planet.
