China has set out its ambitions to become an international space power, which includes a planned mission to Mars and the first country to explore the dark side of the moon.
The policy paper released Tuesday, “China’s Space Activities in 2016,” said that to “build China into a space power is a dream we pursue unremittingly.” In 2018, China hopes to become the first nation to land a probe called Change 4 on the far side of the moon to better understand its evolution.
The paper also reinforced the country’s commitment to send a probe to Mars by 2020, that will “conduct research into major scientific questions such as the origin and evolution of the solar system, and search for extraterrestrial life.”
China has recently been spending big on its space program and is currently constructing a permanently occupied space station by 2022. Its first satellite was launched in 1970 and in 2003 the first Chinese astronaut was sent into space. There was, however, no mention of China’s previous goal of landing a person on the moon by 2036.
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The paper stated that developing a space industry is “an important part of the nation’s overall development strategy and adheres to the principle of exploration and utilization of outer space for peaceful purposes.”
India has also been increasing its space program and many have dubbed the new programs part of the “Asian space race.” India has already successfully launched a number of low-cost spacecraft.
While China’s space program has previously included weapons tests, the paper stated that "China always adheres to the principle of the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and opposes the weaponization of or an arms race in outer space."