China Says It’s on Track to Land Astronauts on the Moon by 2030
Beijing: China announced on Thursday that it remains on schedule to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, as it unveiled the next crew heading to its Tiangong space station—part of the country’s broader goal to become a global leader in space exploration.
“Each stage of the research and development work for the manned lunar mission is progressing smoothly,” said Zhang Jingbo, spokesperson for the China Manned Space Programme. He highlighted advancements in the Long March 10 rocket, lunar landing suits, and the moon exploration vehicle as key milestones. “Our goal of landing Chinese astronauts on the moon by 2030 is unwavering,” he added.
The announcement came as China prepared to launch a new rotation of astronauts to the Tiangong space station, which serves as a platform for scientific research and technological experiments. Each team typically spends six months aboard the station.
The new crew—comprising Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang—is scheduled to lift off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Friday at 11:44 p.m. local time. Zhang previously took part in the Shenzhou-15 mission, while Wu and Zhang Hongzhang will be making their first journey into space.
In addition to their research tasks, the astronauts will bring along four mice—two male and two female—to study the effects of weightlessness and confinement on living organisms.
China began building the Tiangong, or “Heavenly Palace,” space station after being excluded from the International Space Station due to U.S. national security concerns over the Chinese programme’s ties to the People’s Liberation Army.
Would you like me to make this version more concise (e.g., news brief) or feature-style (more descriptive and narrative)?
