China Unveils Detailed Plan for Crewed Moon Landing
Dragon Media News Desk
China plans to use two rockets to send spacecraft into lunar orbit, where they will rendezvous and dock, as part of its crewed lunar exploration program. Development work for a lunar landing is progressing steadily, a senior Chinese official said.
Wang Xiang, deputy chief designer of China’s crewed space program and chief designer of its lunar exploration program, outlined the plan on Saturday at the Seventh Manned Space Symposium in Beijing.
Under the plan, one rocket will send the Lanyue lunar lander and another the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft into the Earth–Moon transfer orbit. The two spacecraft will then rendezvous and dock in lunar orbit. Astronauts will transfer from Mengzhou to Lanyue, descend to the lunar surface and conduct scientific research.
Wang said the approach fits China’s current technical capabilities and infrastructure. Developing the spacecraft and lander separately could help standardize production and support the development of a long-term family of vehicles, he added.
Wang acknowledged that the plan presents challenges, but described China’s system for mobilizing resources nationwide as a key strength in addressing them. He said system plans, technical standards and quality requirements had been established under a unified development framework. The program has also adopted an integrated design approach, with emphasis on verifying interfaces between subsystems.
Development of the Long March-10 rocket, the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft and the Lanyue lander is progressing smoothly, Chinese officials said. Major tests completed so far include Mengzhou’s zero-altitude abort and maximum dynamic pressure escape tests, the Lanyue lander’s landing and takeoff test, and a low-altitude demonstration and validation test for the Long March-10 rocket.
Wang said future lunar exploration should build knowledge and capability before moving to resource use. A prolonged survey phase would be needed to study the Moon steadily and systematically, he said.
Crewed lunar landings and uncrewed lunar exploration share many key technologies, infrastructure and personnel, Wang added. Achievements from China’s Chang’e lunar exploration program will also support the crewed landing effort.
