China emphasizes peaceful space exploration

China wants to improve space infrastructure and develop space sciences under the principle of creating peaceful cooperation in outer space, said an industry leader.

Wu Yansheng, president of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), made the remarks at the ongoing Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2017) which began Tuesday in Beijing.

He said that China will continue to provide services for other countries, including international commercial launches and sending satellites into orbit.

According to Wu, China plans to set up a space station around 2022, and launch Chang’e-5 lunar probe in late 2017 to collect samples from the moon.

China plans to send a probe to Mars around 2020 and launch the Chang’e-4 lunar probe for a soft landing on the far side of the moon in 2018, he said.

China is also working on a concept for a manned lunar landing.

The mission will consist of a manned spaceship, a propulsion vehicle and a lunar lander. The manned spaceship and the lunar lander will be sent separately into lunar orbit, according to Wu.

The conference, which ends Thursday, was jointly held by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and the Chinese Society of Astronautics and follows the GLEX 2012 conference held in Washington D.C.

International space engineers and delegates from leading aerospace companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Airbus attended the conference.