NASA Administrator's Lunar Declaration
Recently, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told the Washington Post that American astronauts landed on the moon before Chinese astronauts. When he said this, he aroused many people's discussion and suspicion. Don't look at what Nelson said with confidence, in fact, things here can be complicated. Today, let's talk about what's going on behind his words, as well as the competition between China and the United States in aerospace.
Why is Nielsen so confident? It turned out to be the Starship system
Nielsen is so confident, mainly because SpaceX's Starship system test was successful. This starship system is so powerful that it can refuel in Earth orbit, so it can fly farther. This design not only allows the spacecraft to travel farther, but also lays the foundation for future exploration of deep space.
Although the successful test of the Starship system has helped the US lunar landing program a lot, it has a strong carrying capacity and is convenient for refueling, as if a manned landing on the moon is very promising. But to achieve a manned landing on the moon, it is not so simple, technology, money, time, and many problems are waiting to be solved.
Nelson's words drew a bunch of skepticism and a controversy over the Apollo program
Nelson's statement not only talked about the future, but also made everyone wonder whether the U.S. moon landing program was real. You must know that the Apollo program was a great achievement in human spaceflight, but since then, the United States has not made much progress in manned landing on the moon, which makes people have something to say.
The Apollo program began in 1961, when humans landed on the moon for the first time in 1969, when the United States relied on it to compete with the Soviet Union in the Cold War. But after the end of Apollo 17 in 1972, the United States has never carried out a manned landing on the moon. In the past few decades, the United States has made progress in other aspects of spaceflight, such as building the International Space Station, landing a Mars probe, or something, but there has been no movement in the manned landing on the moon, so everyone doubts whether the United States really has the ability to carry out a manned landing on the moon again.
Some media said that Nielsen said that he would land on the moon before China this time, as if admitting that there was a problem with the Apollo moon landing that year. Although there is no solid evidence, it can be seen that everyone is not very comfortable with the United States once again manning the moon.
With the rise of China's aerospace industry, the United States is a little behind
In recent years, China has developed rapidly in the aerospace field, which has put a lot of pressure on the United States. Our Chang'e-4 explored the far side of the moon, and Chang'e-5 also brought back lunar samples, which shows that China's aerospace technology is powerful.
Chang'e-4 landed on the far side of the moon for the first time in 2019, which is a major breakthrough in the history of spaceflight. Chang'e-5 returned samples to Earth in 2020, making China even better at lunar exploration. And we are still building a space station, and we will also carry out manned lunar landings in the future.
Looking at the United States again, there has been no progress in the moon landing after the Apollo program, although it is leading in other aerospace fields, but the manned moon landing has not made a breakthrough. Now the United States is in a hurry, and it has to rebuild its lunar landing program, and it has to invest a lot of money and technology.
Technology and money, the big problem of the American manned landing on the moon
Although the starship system is good, it is not easy to land people on the moon. Technically, the moon landing involves many aspects, such as spacecraft design, orbit calculation, ensuring astronauts alive, and so on, and a bunch of problems need to be solved.
Let's talk about spacecraft first, it has to be done very well, the materials and processes must be advanced, and it must be able to work in a very harsh environment. Like the stainless steel used in starships, it has to perform well in both hot and cold environments, and it has to be strong. There is a lot of experimentation and testing to do this.
Then there is the orbit, which must be calculated accurately, and the navigation must be well controlled, otherwise the spacecraft will not be able to reach the moon. This relies on astronomical data and mathematical models to ensure that the orbit and attitude are correct in flight.
There is also the living guarantee of astronauts, the environment on the moon is poor, they have to prepare oxygen, water, food, and they have to be able to cure any illness or something. These systems need to be safe and reliable, but not too heavy.
In addition to technology, money is also a big issue. I heard that the US manned lunar landing program will cost tens of billions of dollars, and this money will be used for research and development, manufacturing, testing, and scientific research and engineering activities. But with so much money and a lot of pressure, it's hard to say whether the plan can go smoothly.
Nielsen's words have a political purpose, and the space competition between China and the United States is not simple
When Nielsen said this, he didn't just think it was technical, but it was also political. He wants Americans to have confidence in aerospace, and he also wants to tell the outside world that the United States is the boss in aerospace.
In recent years, the competition between China and the United States in the aerospace sector has become more and more intense. China has made rapid progress in lunar exploration, going to Mars, and building a space station, and the United States is very concerned. When Nielsen said this, he had the meaning of propaganda and diplomacy, and wanted everyone to think that the United States was very powerful.
The development paths of China and the United States are different, and the future depends on actual actions
The manned landing on the moon is a big project, and knowledge in many fields has to be used. The United States has accumulated in these areas, but it also has to innovate. China is slowly overcoming difficult problems step by step, and has achieved good results.
For example, in spacecraft manufacturing, the United States is very good at materials and processes, and it has experience in the Apollo program. But now that technology is evolving fast, the United States also has challenges in new areas. China has been working research and development, such as the Chang'e mission, which has solved many problems and prepared for a manned landing on the moon.
Whether the United States can land on the moon first in the future, we have to see objectively. Technological progress and competition require time and investment, and Nielsen said it sounds, but it is not certain whether it can be done. China's aerospace industry has also been advancing, and the competition between China and the United States on the moon is still long.
The manned landing on the moon is not only a symbol of national strength, but also a major event in human exploration. Whoever does it first is human progress. We have to be open and cooperate to promote the development of aerospace together.
summary
Nelson's words are both confident and problematic. The space competition between China and the United States is becoming more and more intense, and the manned landing on the moon is not only a comparison of technology, but also of comprehensive strength. Let's not just listen to him, we have to look at the actual results. In the future, space exploration, international cooperation and technology sharing are very important. The competition between China and the United States can promote development, and whoever lands on the moon first is a good thing, and I hope that we can make progress and bring good results to the future of mankind.
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