Sci-fi becomes reality China wants to build giant space aircraft carrier
What usually only occurs in sci-fi scenarios is set to become reality in China: It wants to be the first nation to build a flying space aircraft carrier. The gigantic project is to be realized by 2040.
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- China wants to be the first nation in the world to build a gigantic space aircraft carrier, as reported by state television.
- The 120,000-ton ship, whose designs were unveiled back in 2017, is set to become a reality by 2040 as part of the "Nantianmen" project.
- The mother ship "Luanniao", which will also be accompanied by other spaceships and jets, will be 242 meters long and loaded with 88 hypersonic rockets.
What sounds like something out of a sci-fi story, China wants to turn into reality in the coming years: A planned giant space aircraft carrier will actually be built by 2040, as Chinese state television CCTV has now confirmed according to the South Korean newspaper "The Chosun Daily".
The state-owned defense company Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) had already presented the so-called "Nantianmen" project (translated: "southern gate to heaven") in 2017, with the mother ship "Luanniao" at its center. It is now set to move from the planning phase to the implementation phase.
Gigantic dimensions
As the first flying aircraft carrier ever, the ship, named after a mythical bird, is intended to carry fighter jets, drones and other aircraft and spacecraft. Its dimensions are gigantic: 242 meters long, 684 meters wide and weighing up to 120,000 tons.
Unmanned systems will form the core of its armament: There is space on the mother ship for 88 "Xuan Nü" type aircraft, which carry hypersonic missiles and can maneuver in space with high precision. Launching from a high altitude saves fuel and facilitates the transition to orbit, where the systems would be more difficult to detect and the thinner air would allow higher speeds and shorter approach times.
Further projects could be integrated
According to "The Chosun Daily", China has presented several concepts in recent years that could be integrated into the system. A model of the "Baidi" stealth jet, also known as the "White Emperor", first appeared in 2024. The aircraft is intended for missions at extreme altitudes.
Another project bears the name "Zihuo", which translates as "violet fire". This is a VTOL aircraft that can take off and land vertically, can reach speeds of up to 800 km/h and is intended for both manned and autonomous reconnaissance missions.
Videos show possible use
According to CCTV, the "Luanniao" is to be completed by 2040. Computer-generated videos showing a possible mission are already circulating on social media. Whether the vision will actually become an operational system remains to be seen. In fact, such a project would be uncharted territory: to date, no state has officially stationed weapons in space.
Chinese military expert Wang Mingzhi described "Nantianmen" in the Chinese-language daily newspaper "Lianhe Zaobao" from Singapore as innovative and forward-looking. The project is based on ideas from science fiction, but the question is not if, but when the corresponding technologies will be realized.
It seems as if the successful Chinese sci-fi à la "The Three Suns" could be overtaken by the country's reality in the not too distant future.
