China aims to land astronauts on Moon by 2030
What's the story
China has announced its ambitious plan to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030. The country is making steady progress with the development of its Long March 10 rocket and lunar exploration vehicle. This announcement was made ahead of a new crew's launch to China's Tiangong space station for ongoing research work.
Mission update
Long March 10 rocket, lunar suits in development
Zhang Jingbo, a spokesperson for the China Manned Space Program, confirmed that all research and development work related to the Moon landing mission is going smoothly. He specifically mentioned the Long March 10 rocket, lunar landing suits, and exploration vehicle as key components of this progress. "Our fixed goal of China landing a person on the Moon by 2030 is firm," Zhang said.
Crew rotation
Crew rotation mission to Tiangong space station
China is also gearing up for a crew rotation mission to the Tiangong space station. The new team of astronauts, comprising Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang, will launch from the Jiuquan launch center on Friday. The upcoming space station mission will also see four mice—two male and two female—accompanying the astronauts. The purpose of this experiment is to study the effects of weightlessness and confinement on these animals during space travel.