China has shared further details of its plan to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030. The proposed mission would use two rockets and two spacecraft that meet and dock in lunar orbit, carrying a crew of three. Two astronauts would descend to the surface to conduct scientific activities, while the third remains aboard the crew vehicle.
Wang Xiang, deputy chief designer of China’s human spaceflight program and responsible for its lunar exploration project, described the architecture at the 7th Symposium on Manned Space Flight in Beijing, held from October 31 to November 1, 2026.
One Long March 10 rocket would carry the Mengzhou crew spacecraft, and a second would launch the Lanyue lunar lander. Once both vehicles reach lunar orbit, they are expected to rendezvous and dock. Two crew members would then transfer to Lanyue for the descent, while Mengzhou would serve as the transport and return vehicle for the astronaut remaining in orbit.
The Long March 10 configuration planned for the mission is described as a three-stage rocket with additional boosters, capable of carrying up to 27 tonnes to trans-lunar injection. Mengzhou is designed to take astronauts to lunar orbit and return them to Earth. Lanyue would carry two crew members to the lunar surface and bring them back to orbit.
China has outlined a series of uncrewed tests before attempting a crewed landing. In early 2027, a Long March 10A is scheduled to launch Mengzhou for tests in low Earth orbit. A lunar-configured Long March 10 and the Lanyue lander are slated for an uncrewed test in 2028, including demonstrations of descent and ascent. In 2029, uncrewed Mengzhou and Lanyue spacecraft are expected to test rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit. The crewed mission is planned before 2030.
These dates reflect the announced schedule, not a guarantee that each milestone will take place as planned. China has already conducted emergency escape tests for Mengzhou, a landing and takeoff demonstration for Lanyue, and a low-altitude test of the Long March 10. The program also plans to use the Tiangong space station to test technologies and procedures before lunar missions.
China’s longer-term plans include the International Lunar Research Station, whose construction is planned to begin in 2031 with participation from international partners. For now, the stated priority is to demonstrate that the mission’s spacecraft and operations can work together, including docking in lunar orbit, landing and returning the crew to orbit. The architecture resembles the Apollo program’s use of a separate lunar module, which reunited with the main spacecraft after surface operations.
Sources: Olhar Digital.