The return to Earth of three astronauts on Saturday after six months at China's new space station marks a landmark step in the country's space ambitions, ending its longest crewed mission ever.The world's second-largest economy has put billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of eventually sending humans to the Moon.China has come a long way in catching up with the United States (US) and Russia, whose astronauts and cosmonauts have decades of experience in spa

The launch of the first module of China's new space station - "Heavenly Palace" - on Thursday underlined how far the country has come in achieving its space dream.The Tianhe core module houses life support equipment and a living space for astronauts, and is another key step in Beijing's grand plans to establish a permanent human presence in space.Beijing has poured billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022 and event

America and China should cooperate in space. Although the United States (US) can no longer take its extra-terrestrial dominance for granted, it remains the leading player, while China’s space capabilities are growing fast. Most important, both countries, along with the rest of the world, would benefit from a set of clear rules governing the exploration and commercialisation of space.China made history in 2019 by becoming the first country to land a probe on the far side of the Moon.

50 years after astronauts first walked on the Moon, space wars have gone from Hollywood fantasy to looming threat. Not content with possessing enough nuclear weapons to wipe out all life on Earth many times over, major powers are rapidly militarising space. Given the world’s increasing reliance on space-based assets, the risks are enormous.As with the Cold War-era Space Race between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union, the new global space race has an important symbolic dimension.