Tongfang Academy
Micro Party Class · Issue 299
A Vivid Interpretation of the Lunar Exploration Spirit: “Chang’e” Has Made Six Journeys to the “Moon Palace” Over Two Decades.
“Theoretical cultivation is the core of the comprehensive quality of Party members and cadres. Theoretical maturity is the foundation for political maturity, and political steadfastness stems from theoretical clarity.” For Party members and cadres, fostering a fine academic ethos and strengthening theoretical education are both fundamental requirements for cultivating Party spirit and an inescapable political responsibility.
Tongfang Law Firm provides a learning platform for all its lawyers in the form of micro-party classes, aiming to enhance their ideological and political awareness as well as their spirit of learning and inquiry. By establishing a long-term educational mechanism, the firm has created a new platform for self-education and self-improvement.
On June 25, 2024, Chang'e-6 completed its 53-day space journey, bringing back to Earth the world’s first samples from the far side of the Moon—traveling from a distance of 380,000 kilometers beyond Earth. This year marks the 20th anniversary of China’s decision to launch its lunar exploration program. In this milestone year, China’s aerospace industry has once again set a new world record.
“Over the past 20 years, all comrades who have participated in the research and development and construction of the lunar exploration program have carried forward the spirit of lunar exploration, courageously scaled the heights of science and technology, and achieved remarkable accomplishments that have drawn worldwide acclaim, thus forging a path of high-quality, high-efficiency lunar exploration,” General Secretary Xi Jinping noted in his congratulatory message on that day.
As China’s first-ever direct exploration of a celestial body beyond Earth, the Chang'e lunar exploration program is characterized by its massive scale, complex systems, and high degree of integration. From Chang'e-1 achieving China’s “zero breakthrough” in lunar exploration to Chang'e-6 realizing humanity’s first-ever sample return from the far side of the Moon, over the past two decades, China’s space program has continuously written its own lunar exploration saga, fulfilling the millennia-old aspiration of the Chinese nation to reach for the moon. Not only has China left its mark on the moon, but it has also, through practical endeavors, distilled the “Lunar Exploration Spirit”—a precious spiritual legacy.
Great practice gives rise to a great spirit, and a great spirit in turn drives great practice. In 2019, in their congratulatory message on the successful completion of the Chang'e-4 mission of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, the CPC Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission first introduced the term “Lunar Exploration Spirit.” As the Lunar Exploration Program has been carried out in greater depth, the Lunar Exploration Spirit—characterized by “pursuing dreams, daring to explore, working collaboratively to overcome challenges, and achieving win-win cooperation”—has played a powerful role as a spiritual guide, leading Chinese lunar explorers steadily forward on the path of high-quality and highly efficient lunar exploration.
Chasing Dreams: A Romantic Journey Across Planets
“When will the bright moon appear? I raise my cup and ask the azure sky…” In ancient Chinese poetry, prose, and lyrics, the moon has always held a special place. It not only boasts romantic and elegant epithets such as “Chanyuan” and “Gui Palace,” but also serves as a cherished emotional refuge for scholars and literary figures. Moreover, the myth of Chang'e flying to the moon vividly embodies the Chinese nation’s boundless imagination about the luminous moon.
In 1994, the U.S. Clementine spacecraft’s discovery of potential water on the Moon sparked an international surge in lunar exploration. At that time, after nearly 40 years of development, China’s aerospace industry had made remarkable progress in fields such as rockets and satellites, laying a solid foundation for venturing into deep space. It was then that a group of people who gazed at the stars set their sights on the Moon and proposed that China should formulate a lunar exploration program as soon as possible.
The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program was officially approved and launched in 2004, and was named the “Chang'e Project.” From the very beginning of the program, Academician Luan Enjie—the first chief commander of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program and former director of the China National Space Administration—along with veteran aerospace pioneers, tackled the challenging question of “how to reach the Moon” and drew up a three-step blueprint for lunar exploration: orbiting, landing, and returning. As China’s first lunar exploration mission, the Chang'e-1 mission was aimed at achieving the goal of orbiting the Moon.
“From the moment Chang’e-1 set off for the moon, I knew that once the door to lunar exploration was opened, the journey of deep-space exploration would never come to a halt,” said Sun Jiadong, the first chief designer of China’s Lunar Exploration Program and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
At 5:00 p.m. on May 3, 2024, in Wenchang, Hainan, the Long March-5 Yao-8 carrier rocket lifted the Chang'e-6 probe on its journey toward the Moon. The probe’s graceful and effortless descent onto the lunar surface, the five-star red flag standing tall on the far side of the Moon, and the character “China” left behind on the lunar terrain after it began digging—each scene from this “moon-chasing blockbuster” remains vividly etched in our memories.
On the afternoon of June 25, beneath a brilliantly blue sky over the Amugulang Grassland in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia, a giant red-and-white parachute slowly descended—CNSA’s Chang’e-6 returner had finally arrived home! Among the excited crowd at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, one elderly man with white hair stood out in particular. He was Long Lehao, senior advisor to the Long March series of launch vehicles and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering—a key figure who had led the feasibility studies for selecting launch vehicles for China’s lunar exploration program. Despite being in his eighties, he always made it a point to be present at critical milestones of the lunar exploration project, eager to witness each historic moment. “Over the past 17 years, the Long March rockets have achieved a perfect record, sending ‘Chang’e’ spacecraft into space six times—all thanks to self-reliance and hard work. We must keep up the good work and rise to the challenge once again as we strive for our next success,” said this veteran aerospace engineer, who has dedicated 61 years to the cause of space exploration, full of passion and determination.
From expressing aspirations under the moon to landing on the lunar surface, from first explorations of the “Moon Palace” to detailed surveys, from roving across the lunar surface to unraveling the mysteries of the far side of the moon, and from setting Chinese records to achieving world firsts—China’s lunar exploration program has accomplished a historic leap in just 20 years. By realizing the dream of lunar exploration, China is propelling the Chinese Dream forward, vividly demonstrating the power of dreams.
Dare to Explore: The Courage to Venture into “No Man’s Land”
During the first wave of lunar exploration in the 20th century, the world’s leading spacefaring nations had already carried out more than 100 lunar exploration missions. Yet for China’s aerospace industry, “flying to the Moon” remains a journey of exploring the unknown. Sun Zezhou, chief designer of the Chang’e-4 probe at the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said: “We started late in lunar and Martian exploration, so we need to learn from those who have gone ahead and achieved advanced results. But we must never simply follow in their footsteps or blindly imitate others—we must dare to innovate and take the lead.”
Keeping pace doesn't mean simply eating someone else's chewed bread.
Chang'e-1, Chang'e-2, and Chang'e-3 each marked a breakthrough—from “0” to “1”—in China’s lunar exploration history. Chang'e-4’s soft landing on the far side of the moon set an unprecedented global milestone that truly amazed the world. After Chang'e-3 successfully completed its lunar landing mission, the question arose: Should Chang'e-4, which had been serving as a backup, simply carry out another similar lunar landing mission, or should it boldly venture into the “unexplored territory” of scientific exploration? Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s Lunar Exploration Program, said, “We believe we should endow Chang'e-4 with greater vitality and more advanced capabilities, enabling it to explore the far side of the moon—a region no human probe has ever reached before.”
By 2020, Chang'e-5 had been tasked with its mission. To achieve China's first-ever sample return from an extraterrestrial body, researchers innovatively proposed a four-device combination scheme, with 11 interlinked flight phases. After overcoming four major challenges—lunar surface sampling, lunar takeoff, lunar orbit rendezvous and docking, and re-entry into Earth at speeds approaching the second cosmic velocity—Chang'e-5 successfully brought back lunar soil. The three-step goal of China's lunar exploration program has thus been fully accomplished, and China's lunar explorers have fulfilled their solemn commitment.
Subsequently, a scene similar to that of Chang'e-4 was once again played out during the Chang'e-6 mission. With the Chang'e-5 mission already successfully completed, where would Chang'e-6—serving as a backup—go from here? The far side of the moon, a region rarely explored, has once again captured the attention of China’s lunar explorers.
Why choose to sample the far side of the Moon?
“The South Pole-Aitken Basin, located on the far side of the Moon, is currently the largest, deepest, and oldest basin discovered on the lunar surface. Studying its geological structure, material composition, and evolutionary history will help us better understand the Moon—and even the early geological evolution of Earth,” said Li Chunlai, deputy chief designer of the Chang'e-6 mission and a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, hitting the nail on the head.
However, the far side of the Moon is not only a “hidden realm” that we cannot observe from Earth—it also comes with the annoyance of being “out of cellular service.” To address this challenge, China has launched ahead of time the “New Queqiao”—Queqiao-2, a relay satellite—thus ensuring smooth communication and data transmission. Compared to its predecessor, Queqiao-1, this new relay satellite boasts broader functionality and enhanced performance. It not only supports China’s Phase IV lunar exploration program but can also provide relay communication services for foreign lunar exploration missions.
It is precisely this spirit of daring to explore that continuously and steadily propels China’s lunar exploration program forward, while also offering a Chinese solution for humanity’s quest to explore the vast universe.
Collaborative Breakthrough: A Unified Force Reaching for the Moon
The Chang'e lunar exploration program is one of China's most complex and technologically ambitious aerospace systems engineering projects. Yet, in just 20 years, China’s lunar and deep-space exploration endeavors have made a remarkable leap—from catching up to running alongside, and then taking the lead. From design to production, from research and development to testing, and from launch implementation to flight control, every technological breakthrough and innovation is the result of collaborative teamwork and collective efforts.
Collaborative efforts in tackling tough challenges are reflected in the high degree of system integration and participation in research. The Lunar Exploration Program involves five major systems and brings together thousands of institutions from across the country—ranging from traditional “national teams” to private-sector organizations.
During the Chang'e-6 mission, China independently and dynamically displayed the Five-Star Red Flag on the far side of the Moon for the first time. The unique lunar environment—characterized by extreme temperature variations and intense radiation—places even higher demands on the materials used for the national flag. To meet these challenges, the team developing the lunar flag, in collaboration with institutions such as Wuhan Textile University, proposed using basalt fiber to create the lunar flag. From fiber formation and fabric weaving to printing and dyeing, and finally to the production of the flag itself, researchers worked closely together, overcoming one technical hurdle after another. As a result, the "China Red" woven from basalt fiber made its stunning debut on the far side of the Moon.
The collaborative effort in tackling this challenge is reflected in the wide age range of those involved in the research. In 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping met with representatives of the personnel who had participated in the Chang'e-5 lunar exploration mission. In the group photo, two special “post-80s” and “post-90s” individuals were seated beside the General Secretary: one was Academician Luan Enjie, who is over eighty years old, and the other was Academician Sun Jiadong, who is already in his nineties. After the lunar exploration program was officially launched in 2004, Luan Enjie, then 64, and Sun Jiadong, then 75, took the lead and made significant contributions to the successful implementation of the program’s first mission.
During the Chang'e-6 mission, Chen Wencheng, a post-90s engineer from the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, has grown into the deputy chief process engineer for the overall assembly of the Chang'e-6 orbiter. Every day, Chen Wencheng busily shuttles between the final assembly site and various component manufacturing plants, leading his team in conducting full-lifecycle management of the product—from tracking components throughout the production process to controlling quality right from the source. “Being able to participate in this new mission alongside my mentor has reignited my passion and renewed my determination!” Speaking of his mentor, Gu Weide, a post-95s apprentice, is full of energy and wears a broad smile.
Looking back on the 20-year journey of lunar exploration, from the older generation of scientists who were deeply committed to reaching for the skies, to a new cohort of young aerospace experts who are now stepping up to shoulder heavy responsibilities—every challenge overcome on the “Chang’e Lunar Exploration” mission has been made possible by their concerted efforts and unwavering determination.
Win-win cooperation: An open and inclusive mindset.
Exploring the vast universe not only fulfills the Chinese people’s dream of soaring into the sky, but also represents a shared aspiration of all humanity. As advocated in the 2021 White Paper on China’s Space Program—“Promoting the Building of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind in the Aerospace Domain”—China has consistently upheld the principles of equality and mutual benefit, peaceful utilization, and inclusive development. In lunar exploration missions, China has engaged in various forms of international cooperation with space agencies from many countries, including payload collaboration and tracking and control cooperation.
In July 2024, the “2024 Thailand Future Science Power Exhibition” was held in Bangkok, Thailand. At the exhibition, a sample of lunar soil from Chang'e-5—titled “The Bright Moon Shines Upon Me”—slowly rotated 360 degrees, offering visitors who had gathered around an unforgettable glimpse of this remarkable specimen. “I’ve never been able to visit the moon myself and experience it firsthand, but now that samples collected by China’s lunar probe are on display, this is an opportunity I simply can’t miss,” said Veerachai, a Bangkok resident, describing his impression of the lunar soil sample as “amazing.” In October 2023, at the 74th International Astronautical Congress, China announced that the scientific samples from Chang'e-5 would be open for international applications, welcoming researchers from all countries to join in collaborative studies and share the resulting findings.
International cooperation was also a major highlight of the Chang'e-6 mission. Four international payloads from ESA, France, Italy, and Pakistan have been operating flawlessly in orbit, yielding precious, firsthand scientific data. On the day of launch, at the Wenchang Space Launch Site, space agencies from multiple countries, foreign diplomats accredited to China, and officials from international organizations jointly witnessed Chang'e-6 lifting off amid heavy rain. Experts from foreign payloads were nearly moved to tears: “This is the most breathtaking launch I’ve ever seen!” “Congratulations—we’re heading to the Moon!”
A series of international collaborations demonstrates China’s open and cooperative stance, while also enhancing mutual understanding and trust among nations. Today, China’s space program has become a significant force in global space cooperation, and China’s “circle of friends” in lunar exploration continues to expand.
Zhang Kejian, Administrator of the China National Space Administration, stated that China's space program will continue to uphold the principles of equality and mutual benefit, peaceful utilization, and inclusive development. It will remain open and welcoming, constantly expanding channels for international cooperation and effectively organizing and implementing subsequent major space missions.
The spirit of lunar exploration is not only the key to success for the lunar exploration program itself, but also the spiritual code that will open a new journey of interstellar exploration and accelerate the building of a space power.
Hu Hao, chief designer of the Chang'e-6 mission and a veteran of 20 years in China’s lunar exploration program, summarized his experiences in the lunar exploration endeavor with four “trust” characters: “Only by holding firm信念 can we hone our skills over ten years and move forward toward a shared dream; only by maintaining confidence can we bravely face ever-new challenges and achieve breakthroughs; only through mutual trust can we synchronize our efforts and work together effectively in this complex large-scale systems engineering project; and only by keeping our promises can we inspire relevant domestic and international organizations to willingly collaborate with us. Today, China’s aerospace pioneers have already plunged into a new battle!”
On this new journey in a new era, China’s aerospace pioneers will surely keep forging ahead toward the stars and the sea, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era!
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
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