Trending · Tech
China sets out its first Moon landing crew: three go, two walk
官方披露：将有两名中国人登陆月球
A senior designer of China’s human spaceflight programme described how the first crewed lunar mission, planned for before 2030, will work.
In short
On 31 October 2026, at the 7th Human Space Symposium in Beijing, Wang Xiang, chief designer of China’s crewed lunar exploration programme, said the first Chinese Moon landing mission will carry three astronauts. Two will land on the surface while one waits in lunar orbit. The landing is planned for before 2030 and needs two Long March 10 rocket launches.
What was announced
Wang Xiang, deputy chief designer of the China Manned Space programme and chief designer of its lunar exploration project, presented the crew plan for the country’s first crewed Moon landing at the 7th Human Space Symposium in Beijing on 31 October. The Global Times and The Paper reported that the crew will be three astronauts, two of whom will land on the Moon.
According to Sina Tech, the conference was held at Beihang University. The two astronauts on the surface will carry out exploration and collect samples, while the third remains on board the Mengzhou spacecraft in lunar orbit to monitor the mission and provide emergency support. Sina Tech noted that this split is similar to the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, but uses Chinese-built rockets, spacecraft and lander.[1][2][3]
How the mission will work
The plan is described as “two launches, one landing”. A first Long March 10 rocket sends the Lanyue lander to lunar orbit. A second carries the crew in the Mengzhou spacecraft, which meets and docks with the lander in lunar orbit.
Two astronauts then move into the lander, which separates and descends to the surface. When their work is done, the lander lifts off, docks again with Mengzhou in orbit, and all three astronauts return to Earth in Mengzhou with lunar samples. China Manned Space has not yet said where on the Moon the landing will be.[1][2]
Where the programme stands
The Paper reported that on 11 February 2026 the Mengzhou spacecraft completed an abort test at maximum aerodynamic pressure and splashed down safely at sea, the first time China has recovered a crewed spacecraft from the sea. An uncrewed flight of the Lanyue lander is planned before the crewed mission, and on 22 October the China Manned Space Agency invited proposals for payloads to fly on it. A lunar spacesuit and a crewed lunar rover are also being developed.
Sina Tech reported that the Moon-landing astronauts will be chosen first from those who have already flown to the Tiangong space station, and that their special training has begun. The names of the crew have not been announced.[2][3]
Sources
- Global Times: China aims for manned moon landing before 2030, with two taikonauts set to touch down on lunar surface · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻): 我国首次载人登月任务乘组计划公布 · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Sina Tech (新浪科技): 我国首次载人登月乘组计划三人组成 · accessed 31 Oct 2026
Picked from Baidu’s public hot-search list and checked against the reports above. Suggest a correction