HELSINKI \u2014 China is on target to reach its goal of putting its astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade, according to the country\u2019s human spaceflight agency.<\/p>
Officials with the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) provided a rare update on the crewed lunar program during a press conference at Jiuquan spaceport April 24. <\/p>
“The program development for major flight products, including the Long March 10 rocket, the Mengzhou crew spacecraft, the lunar lander Lanyue and the lunar landing suits, are all complete,\u201d said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of CMSEO. \u201cTheir prototype production and tests are in full swing.”<\/p>
Chinese officials previously announced a plan to put a pair of astronauts on the moon before 2030. Two Long March 10<\/a> lunar variant rockets will separately launch Mengzhou and three astronauts and the Lanyue lander. The pair will then perform a lunar orbit rendezvous and docking ahead of descent to the lunar surface. Two astronauts will spend six hours on the lunar surface before rejoining their colleague in lunar orbit and returning to Earth. <\/p> “The development of mechanical and thermal test products for the crew spacecraft and lander have been basically completed. Various rocket engines are undergoing hotfire tests<\/a>, and the Wenchang crewed lunar exploration launch site is under construction,\u201d Lin said.<\/p> New launch infrastructure is required to facilitate the missions. This is being built near China\u2019s existing coastal spaceport at Wenchang, Hainan island.<\/p>