China unveils video of its moon base plans, which weirdly includes a NASA space shuttle

The China National Space Administration has released a video of its concept for a lunar base to be developed across the next couple of decades. CNSA unveiled the video on Wednesday as part of the country's annual space day celebrations. China is now leading the moon base initiative and attempting to attract international partners for the endeavor. "The moon serves as a starting point, and an international lunar research station will provide a platform for long-term scientific research, work and habitation, paving the way for future human exploration into deeper space. It will serve as a technological, material, and intellectual reservoir, preparing us for future missions to Mars and other distant destinations in space," Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, told China Central Television on Wednesday. One curious detail of the video is the presence of a retired NASA Space Shuttle appearing to lift off from a launch pad in the background. The shuttle was retired in 2011, NASA is largely prohibited from cooperating with Chinese entities and has its own Artemis Program, while China is also developing its own large and reusable launch vehicles for lunar exploration. China designated April 24 as its 'Space Day' in 2016 to mark the occasion of the launch of its first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, into space in 1970, and signal the country's growing ambitions for, and value of, space.