Commentary: Chang'e lunar missions -- China's feat for the whole humanity

BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Since its inception in 2004, the Chinese lunar exploration program, also known as the Chang'e project after Chinese Moon goddess Chang'e, has greatly helped expand humanity's knowledge of the Moon and the broader cosmos.

The recent Chang'e-6 mission, which brought back lunar soil from the Moon's far side for the first time, is just one of its many groundbreaking achievements.

China's lunar exploration has never been about showcasing its scientific prowess, but rather about a shared journey to understand the Earth's celestial neighbor.

The mission, which included international payloads from the European Space Agency, France, Italy, and Pakistan, highlighted China's commitment to fostering a broader and more inclusive approach to space exploration.

This inclusive approach will continue with two additional Chang'e missions, scheduled for 2026 and 2028. With six international payloads already selected for Chang'e-7 and over 30 proposals collected for Chang'e-8, China is further opening the doors of lunar research to the world.

These missions are part of a larger blueprint for an International Lunar Research Station, a platform that aims to bring together space scientists from across the globe in the spirit of equality, mutual benefits, peaceful utilization and win-win cooperation.

China's space agenda is nevertheless not confined to lunar missions. Such projects as the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite attest to its endeavor to form open and inclusive partnerships.

Unlike the exclusive space clubs led by some traditional spacefaring powers, China is keen to lower the barriers to entry to space and invite participation from countries with emerging space capabilities.

As of November 2023, China had signed over 150 intergovernmental space cooperation agreements with more than 50 countries and international organizations. In an era where space exploration is increasingly viewed as a shared human endeavor, China's attainments resonate far beyond its borders, a vivid reminder that the universe belongs to the whole humanity.

From providing satellite technology to Brazil for rainforest monitoring, to enabling remote education in Laos via the LaoSat-1 satellite, and to aiding Tajikistan in dam monitoring with the BeiDou system, China has been continuously extending the benefits of space technology.

The international community has nodded recognition. In an interview with Xinhua earlier this year, Aarti Holla-Maini, director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, depicted China as a "well-respected spacefaring nation," applauding its collaborative efforts to build capacity, reduce disaster risks, and help all countries, especially the developing ones, gain access to space.

Her remarks were echoed by Neil Melville-Kenney, a technical officer from the European Space Agency, who emphasized that the very nature of space exploration demands thinking of humanity as one.

"It is absolutely key for us to continue our young journey out into the cosmos by working together," he said.

Indeed, as China emerges as a key player in deep space exploration, the Chang'e era created by China represents more than just a series of successful lunar missions, but a broader vision of shared human progress.

Much the way the successive Chang'e probes have traversed part of the boundless cosmos, China's space cooperation transcends borders, inviting nations worldwide to extend the frontiers of human knowledge together.