China eyes launching missions to Venus, asteroids & hunt Earth-like exoplanets by 2030

Chinese Acemy of Sciences (CAS), under its "New Horizons Program", has selected 13 new space missions which are targeted for launch by 2030. 13 proposed missions involve hunt for exoplanets, observations of sun, and exploration of moon and Venus, and between five to seven missions are expected to be chosen for launch, Space.com reported.

" future development of space science needs urgent top-level planning and vanced layout to clarify overall goal and investment portfolio from 2025 to 2030," a new paper in Chinese Journal of Space Science re.

(China's lander and Yutu-2 rover; Image: NASA)

missions selected by CAS 

list of selected missions by CAS includes three candidates under astrophysics and astronomy research. first is  Enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP)  to "study state of matter under extreme conditions of density, gravity and magnetism" whereas second Discovering Sky at Longest Wavelength (DSL) mission includes launching ten satellites to lunar orbit. third mission in this category - Dark Matter Particle Explorer-2 (DAMPE-2) - would be a follow-up of first mission in 2015 to find evidence of dark matter.

(China's Zhurong rover on Mars; Image; CNSA)

As for hunt for exoplanets, CAS has selected Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey (CHES) mission wherein China National Space ministration (CNSA) would observe 100 sun-like stars within 33 light-years of Earth and planets orbiting m.  Earth 2.0 (ET) is second mission for same purpose, and this involves installing a seven-telescope instrument at second Lagrange point and finding Earth-like planets in habitable zone around ir stars. 

Chinese scientists are also looking to study or objects within our solar system. For Venus, CAS has selected Venus Volcano Imaging and Climate Explorer (VOICE) mission to study planet's geological and atmospheric processes. Interestingly, China is also planning an asteroid sample return mission with E- Asteroid Sample Return (ASR), wherein it will scrutinise near-Earth asteroid 1989 ML and fetch its rock samples. Notably, final selection of se missions will be complete by end of 2022 and launches would mark beginning of China's 15th five-year plan spanning from 2026-2030.