China plans to connect Earth with moon through communication superhighway
Technology
The network will also provide accurate positioning
(Web Desk) - The scientists in China have laid out a road map for creating network infrastructure between Earth and the moon which is expected to make space travel easier.
As per the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering's researchers, the complete network of three lunar ground stations and 30 satellites will provide monitoring services, navigation and real-time communication to global users.
The network will also provide accurate positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) when the spacecraft is travelling between the moon and Earth and lunar surface operations are being carried out.
This network will also monitor as well as track the moving targets called the cislunar space, which are in the region between the Earth and the moon even though they are as small as one metre, the researchers wrote in the journal Chinese Space Science and Technology in June.
“Cislunar space has become a new frontier for human activities,” said the team headed by Yang Mengfei, chief designer of China’s Chang’e-5 mission.
“Space activities in this region are set to expand rapidly over the next decade, driving a new round of global competition," the team explained.
“The competition for resources such as orbital slots and radio frequencies is already on, and will only get more intense in the future.
There’s an urgent need for China to establish a top-level road map to develop cislunar space infrastructure and gain a competitive edge in the emerging cislunar economy," they added.
Cislunar space is the region between Earth and the moon. This includes the orbits of satellites around Earth and the space where the orbit of the moon is placed.
The researchers said that China is becoming a major player in deep space and lunar exploration and hence strategic planning is critical to “avoid repetitive construction and optimise resource allocation” for future missions.
The strategic planning includes exploration missions to the outer solar system, construction of an international lunar research station and crewed lunar landings.
“While plans exist in the US, Europe and Japan, none have been implemented yet. China has a unique opportunity to secure a substantial share in the emerging cislunar space industry,” the researchers said.
