By BlueShift | 2025-05-14

China has been rapidly advancing its space exploration ambitions, with plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

Beijing's lunar aspirations involve a complex mission architecture, including the development and refinement of several components, including the Long March 10 heavy-lift carrier rocket, Mengzhou manned spacecraft, Lanyue lunar lander, Wangyu lunar suit and Tansuo crew rover.

A promotional video released by the China Manned Space Agency last November demonstrated the phases of China's planned Moon landing.

The mission will use two launches of the Long March 10 rocket, which is under development. One launch is slated to carry the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft, which will transport the astronauts. The other launch will transport the Lanyue lunar lander.

The Mengzhou and Lanyue will rendezvous and dock while in lunar orbit, allowing the astronauts to exit the Menghzou, move into the lander and descend to the Moon's surface.

Last September China first unveiled a new lunar spacesuit named "Wangyu," meaning "gazing into the cosmos." The suit is designed to withstand extreme temperatures, radiation and dust while being lightweight and flexible enough for astronauts to collect samples and perform other tasks.

Establishing a lunar base beyond 2035

Beyond the initial crewed landing, China plans to establish a lunar base near the Moon's south pole by 2035.

The south pole is of particular interest because ​​it contains Permanently Shadowed Regions that could be cold traps for water ice, which is essential for sustaining human life and could be used to produce fuel.

The planned base, known as the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), will be constructed in collaboration with Russia and several other international partners including South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain and Egypt.

In statements last year, Russia's Roscosmos said it planned to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon's surface to help power the ILRS.

Chang'e-8 mission Chief Engineer Pei Zhaoyu said China is considering building a nuclear reactor for power supply but noted there are other options as well.

The lunar base's energy supply could also depend on large-scale solar arrays, and pipelines and cables for heating and electricity built on the Moon's surface, Pei said during a presentation in Shanghai on April 23.

Progress and preparation

These unveilings have demonstrated that China is making progress toward its 2030 goal and beyond.

China has become more assertive in recent years with its plans in space, building major satellite megaconstellations and testing rockets and other spacecraft.

Its recent space missions have laid the groundwork for an expanded presence in space. The Shenzhou-19 mission concluded in April. Three astronauts spent six months aboard the Tiangong space station, marking China's 14th crewed spaceflight mission.

The crew conducted several extravehicular missions, including a record-setting nine-hour spacewalk outside the Tiangong space station. One astronaut attached himself to the station's robotic arm and retrieved equipment from the airlock.

The Tiangong space station is the test site for several simulated lunar soil bricks, designed to mimic the Moon's soil composition.

China sent a sample of these bricks to Tiangong, where they will remain outside for three years to test their durability to extreme temperature variation and radiation, as well as their suitability as a potential material for the ILRS.

Beijing has focused substantial resources on testing building with lunar soil bricks as a part of its ILRS vision, with the Chang'e-5 and Chang'e-6 missions bringing back lunar soil samples.

Additionally, China has been developing other key technologies to aid in exploration of the Moon's surface. Its new space rover is named Tansuo, meaning "to explore," and is designed to carry two astronauts.

These activities are indicative of China's focus on achieving a sustainable human presence on the Moon.

The Chang'e 8 mission is planned for 2028 and will play a central role in laying the foundation for a lunar space station. The mission will carry payloads for several countries that have already signed onto the ILRS, including Pakistan, South Africa, Thailand, Türkiye, Bahrain and Russia.

The mission plans to land on the lunar south pole, near planned sites for the ILRS. It plans as well to test in-situ resource utilization technologies, including the 3D printing of lunar bricks, so that it can assess the ability to build a permanent habitat out of materials indigenous to the Moon.

Moon to Mars

Through the ILRS, China and Russia hope to position themselves as alternative partners to states interested in space exploration and research.

The US-led Artemis program aims to send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery and economic benefits and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

"Engineers, technicians, mission planners and the four astronauts set to fly around the Moon next year on Artemis II, NASA's first crewed Artemis mission, are rapidly progressing toward launch," the space agency reported May 6.