BEIJING, China — China has detailed its plan to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030. The mission will use two Long March-10 rockets and a docking operation in lunar orbit.
Wang Xiang, deputy chief designer of China’s manned space program, outlined the plan at the 7th Manned Space Symposium in Beijing on October 31. The mission follows a “two launches, lunar orbit rendezvous” approach.
Two Rockets to Carry Three Astronauts
The rockets will launch from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province. One will carry the Mengzhou crew spacecraft, while the other will transport the Lanyue lunar lander.
Both vehicles will travel separately to the Moon and dock in lunar orbit. Three astronauts will launch aboard Mengzhou. Two will transfer to Lanyue and descend to the surface, while the third remains in orbit to support the mission.
Lunar Surface Operations and Return
The two astronauts will use the Tansuo lunar rover to collect samples and conduct scientific experiments. They will wear the newly developed Wangyu spacesuits.
After completing their work, the astronauts will return to lunar orbit aboard Lanyue’s ascent module. The lander will dock with Mengzhou again. The crew will transfer the samples, rejoin their colleague, and begin the journey back to Earth. The lander will be left behind.
Key Systems Under Development
China is developing three main systems: Long March-10, Mengzhou, and Lanyue. Key tests have already been completed.
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Mengzhou: Zero-height launch abort and maximum dynamic pressure escape tests.
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Lanyue: Landing and takeoff tests using an extraterrestrial gravity simulator.
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Long March-10: Low-altitude demonstration and validation flight at Wenchang in February 2026.
The program also reported a first-stage recovery milestone in July 2026, when the rocket’s first stage was caught in a ship’s net during its maiden orbital flight.
Wang said the two-launch design matches China’s current technical capabilities and infrastructure. Separate development of the spacecraft and lander is expected to support standardized production and future vehicle development.
The program has established unified technical standards and is verifying interfaces between subsystems.
Uncrewed Mission Before Crewed Landing
China plans an uncrewed flight of the Lanyue lunar lander before sending astronauts. The mission will test the sequence from launch and orbital docking to lunar landing, ascent, and a second docking.
On October 22, 2026, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) invited scientific payload proposals for the uncrewed flight. The submission deadline is March 1, 2027.
The mission will carry scientific experiments and technical demonstrations. It is intended to verify key systems ahead of the crewed landing.
China’s goal remains to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030. The two-launch architecture will allow the crew spacecraft and lunar lander to operate separately before meeting in lunar orbit.
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