China aims to land astronauts on Moon by 2030
China recently confirmed on October 30, 2025, that it plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030, using its new Mengzhou spacecraft and Lanyue lunar lander.
This puts China in a direct space race with NASA, whose Artemis III mission aims for a 2027 Moon landing.
US officials are watching closely, expressing concern that this could shake up the future of global space exploration.
Mengzhou can carry 6 astronauts
China's Mengzhou can carry six astronauts, and they're planning key test runs: a robotic prototype in 2027 and an uncrewed trial in 2028 or 2029.
Success would boost China's reputation as a major space player.
With its Tiangong space station already orbiting Earth—and the International Space Station retiring soon—China's showing it's serious about staying in space for the long haul.
Their Long March rockets (with a solid 97% success rate) keep their missions on track.