China publicly discloses plan for a lunar landing within three years
Summary
Chinese space officials outlined a sequence of missions aimed at landing astronauts on the Moon before 2030. The plan calls for separate launches of the crew spacecraft and lunar lander, which would meet in lunar orbit before the landing mission.Key Facts
- Officials presented the plan at the Seventh Manned Spaceflight Conference in Beijing.
- China aims to test the Long March 10A rocket and Mengzhou spacecraft in low-Earth orbit in early 2027.
- A planned 2028 test would use a Long March 10 rocket and the Lanyue lunar lander to practice landing on and ascending from the Moon.
- China plans a 2029 uncrewed mission in which Mengzhou and Lanyue would launch separately and dock in lunar orbit.
- The crewed lunar landing mission is targeted for before 2030.
- The plan does not currently include a crewed lunar flyby or orbit mission before the landing.
- NASA has set a target of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2028, though the article says U.S. delays could push a landing to 2030 or later.
- China tested a 26-ton Lanyue lander mock-up in August 2025 and recently sent the Mengzhou spacecraft for its 2027 test to the Wenchang launch site.
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