Officials target an uncrewed Earth-orbit test in early 2027, a lunar landing and takeoff test in 2028, and docking between uncrewed spacecraft near the Moon in 2029 before attempting the crewed landing.
Chinese space officials have outlined a sequence of uncrewed tests leading toward a crewed Moon landing. The plan calls for separate Long March 10 launches carrying astronauts aboard the Mengzhou spacecraft and the Lanyue lunar lander. Its milestones are targets, not confirmed flight dates.
Ars Technica said officials presented the sequence over the weekend at the Seventh Manned Spaceflight Conference in Beijing. Presenters included Wang Xiang, chief designer for the lunar exploration program.
The landing goal and separate-launch approach were already public. China’s Manned Space Engineering Office announced a preliminary plan on 12 July 2023, including docking in lunar orbit—joining the spacecraft while they circle the Moon—and transferring astronauts into the lander.
| Target | Planned mission |
|---|---|
| early 2027 | Launch an uncrewed Mengzhou aboard Long March 10A into low Earth orbit. |
| 2028 | Launch uncrewed Lanyue aboard Long 10 March to test descent to the Moon’s surface and ascent from it. |
| 2029 | Use concurrent Long March 10 launches to send uncrewed Mengzhou and Lanyue separately to the Moon, where they would dock in orbit. |
| before 2030 |
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| Launch crewed Mengzhou and Lanyue separately aboard Long March 10 rockets for the crewed landing mission. |
The Earth-orbit test uses a smaller rocket configuration: Long March 10A has no side boosters. The larger Long March 10 planned for lunar flights has a central stage and 2 boosters.
Under the previously announced plan, astronauts would transfer from the crew spacecraft into the lander in lunar orbit, then descend to conduct scientific investigations and collect samples. After their surface work, they would ascend in the lander and dock again with the crew spacecraft, which would bring them and their samples back to Earth.
The disclosed sequence currently includes no separate crewed flight around or into orbit around the Moon before the landing attempt. Mengzhou is expected to gain crewed flight experience closer to Earth through missions to Tiangong, China’s space station in low Earth orbit.
In August 2025, the China Manned Space Agency successfully tested a Lanyue mock-up near Beijing. Large tethers simulated lunar gravity while the vehicle used its main engines and control thrusters to land on a cratered surface and take off.
Mengzhou for the planned orbital test has arrived at Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan. That site is to host the first flight in the disclosed sequence.
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