China outlines lunar landing plan before 2030

Chinese space officials confirmed plans to land astronauts on the Moon within three years, as detailed at the Seventh Manned Spaceflight Conference in Beijing.

The plan includes a series of missions, starting with an uncrewed test of the Long March 10A rocket and Mengzhou spacecraft in early 2027.

A larger uncrewed test of the Long March 10 rocket and Lanyue lunar lander is scheduled for 2028, including descent and ascent from the Moon's surface.

In 2029, two Long March 10 rockets will launch simultaneously, with one carrying the Mengzhou spacecraft and the other the Lanyue lander, to dock in lunar orbit.

The final mission, scheduled for before 2030, will involve a crewed landing using the Mengzhou spacecraft and Lanyue lander.

China's plan omits a crewed lunar orbit or flyby mission similar to Apollo 8 or Artemis II, but includes tests with astronauts on the Mengzhou spacecraft for missions to Tiangong, China's space station.

China's space program has been largely opaque, but recent tests, such as a high-fidelity mockup of the Lanyue lander in August 2025, suggest credible progress toward the goal.

The Mengzhou spacecraft for the 2027 test has arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan, China, where it will launch.