China plans to turn its feats in space exploration into scientific advances

China has made great strides in exploring space in recent years, rocketing astronauts to its own space station and bringing back rocks from the moon. Now it wants to turn those feats into scientific advances.

The nation's leading scientific institute laid out an ambitious plan on Tuesday to become a global leader in space science by 2050. It listed a wide range of research areas including black holes, Mars and Jupiter, and the search for habitable planets and signs of extraterrestrial life.

Our country's space science research in general is still in an initial stage, Ding Chibiao, a vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said at a news conference. It's a weakness that must be addressed on the path of building an aerospace power.

The plan, jointly issued with the China National Space Administration and the China Manned Space Engineering Office, set a goal of making landmark achievements with significant international influence that drive breakthroughs in innovation and ..