China's recent teaser for its lunar base featured an unexpected detail: a NASA Space Shuttle taking off, despite the lack of collaboration between China and the US in space. In a later version of the CGI video released by state media, the Space Shuttle was blurred out.
The video, unveiled by the China National Space Administration on April 26, showcased China's vision for its International Lunar Research Station in 2045. It depicted an astronaut waving a Chinese flag on the moon's research campus, with a spacecraft resembling a Space Shuttle launching in the background.
The inclusion of the Space Shuttle in China's video is significant, given the regulatory restrictions that prevent NASA from engaging in space missions with China. Furthermore, China has emphasized the independence and self-reliance of its space station and lunar base projects.
In contrast, the US and NASA have expressed the urgency of establishing their lunar base before China. However, the depiction of a Space Shuttle in 2045, as shown in China's video, is inaccurate since the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011. NASA now focuses on its Orion Spacecraft and relies on SpaceX for astronaut transport to the International Space Station.
China's apparent oversight was corrected in a subsequent broadcast, where the Space Shuttle was blurred out, a form of censorship commonly seen in China.
Beijing envisions its international lunar base as a collaborative effort with other countries. To prepare, the CNSA recently launched a robotic probe to retrieve samples from the moon's far side. However, the US has voiced concerns about China's resource management practices and its lunar base plans.
NASA's Artemis project aims to return US astronauts to the moon, with an expected budget of around $93 billion by 2025. The first crewed Artemis mission is now slated for late 2025, delayed from the original target of November 2024.