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China Unveils Ambitious Space Mining Program Amid Warnings

2/3/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On January 29, 2026, China launched a national space resources development program to explore and mine resources from Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, and Venus.
The project is named after the 1637 work "Tiangong Kaiwu."
Former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned China could take a more aggressive stance, a view scholars at the time doubted.
A decade ago, China was significantly behind the United States in these areas.

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Story summary

On January 29, 2026, China launched a national space resources development program to explore and mine resources from Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, and Venus.
The project is named after the 1637 work "Tiangong Kaiwu."
Former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned China could take a more aggressive stance, a view scholars at the time doubted.
A decade ago, China was significantly behind the United States in these areas.