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China Conducts Historic Lunar Lander Test, Paving Way for Manned Moon Mission

Summary

  • China tests lunar lander for manned moon missions
  • Lander to transport astronauts, serve as living space on moon
  • Test simulates lunar surface conditions, a critical milestone

Last month, China took a major stride towards its goal of sending the first Chinese astronauts to the moon before 2030. The country's manned space program, China Manned Space (CMS), announced that it had successfully conducted the first test of its lunar lander, called Lanyue, which means "embrace the moon" in Mandarin.

The test, which took place at a site in Hebei province, involved comprehensive verification of the lander's ascent and descent systems under conditions designed to mimic the lunar surface. The test site featured a special coating to replicate the reflectivity of lunar soil, as well as rocks and craters to simulate the moon's terrain.

CMS described the test as a "critical milestone" in the development of China's manned lunar exploration program. The Lanyue lander will play a crucial role in these plans, serving as the vehicle to transport astronauts between the lunar orbit and the moon's surface. It will also function as a living space, power source, and data center for the astronauts after they land on the moon.

China has kept details about its lunar program closely guarded, but the disclosure of this test comes at a time when the United States is seeking to maintain its lead in the new space race. NASA's Artemis program aims to send astronauts around the moon and back in 2026, with a subsequent moon landing mission a year later.

China's uncrewed missions to the moon in recent years have allowed the country to become the only nation to retrieve lunar samples from both the near and far side of the moon. These achievements have drawn interest from international space agencies and organizations, setting the stage for China's ambitious plans to establish a manned lunar base by 2035.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.

FAQ

The Lanyue, which means "embrace the moon" in Mandarin, is China's lunar lander that will be used to transport astronauts between the lunar orbit and the moon's surface, as well as serve as a living space, power source, and data center after they land on the moon.
According to the article, China aims to send the first Chinese astronauts to the moon before 2030, as part of its ambitious manned lunar exploration program.
While China has kept details about its lunar program closely guarded, the article notes that the disclosure of the Lanyue lander test comes at a time when the United States is seeking to maintain its lead in the new space race. NASA's Artemis program plans to send astronauts around the moon and back in 2026, with a subsequent moon landing mission a year later.

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