Chinese Crewed Lunar Program
China's program to land astronauts on the Moon by approximately 2030. Uses the new Long March 10 crew-rated rocket (two launches per mission) and the Mengzhou crew capsule with a dedicated Lanyue lunar lander. The architecture requires two LM-10 launches — one carrying the crew in Mengzhou and one carrying the Lanyue lander — that rendezvous in lunar orbit. China selected its 4th batch of astronauts in 2024 including payload specialists and engineers. If successful, China becomes the second nation to land humans on the Moon.
Budget
Estimated $5B+ (combined launcher, spacecraft, and lander development)
Timeline
2023–2030
Key Milestones
Program formally approved; Long March 10 and Mengzhou capsule development accelerated
2023
4th batch of astronauts selected including lunar mission candidates
2024
Mengzhou crew capsule test flight (uncrewed, suborbital reentry test)
2025
Long March 10 maiden flight (uncrewed qualification)
2027
Uncrewed lunar landing rehearsal with Lanyue lander
2028
First Chinese crewed lunar landing (targeted)
2030
Contractors
Sources
- spacenews.com
- nasaspaceflight.com
- cnsa.gov.cn