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China: preparations for crewed lunar missions

This dossier follows vehicle development and testing for China’s crewed lunar programme, distinguishing targets from completed missions.

Last updated : 1 key moments
Chinese lunar lander mockup displayed in 2023.
Mockup displayed at the National Museum of China, June 2023. Archive photograph; this is not a vehicle in flight. — Shujianyang / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ — 22 juin 2023, redimensionnement.

Where things stand

As of 31 October 2026, the programme has outlined a two-launch architecture in Beijing, with flight tests still to come.

Reported information

China details its crewed lunar landing architecture in Beijing

Chinese lunar programme chief Wang Xiang outlined a two-launch plan followed by a rendezvous in lunar orbit in a Xinhua interview in Beijing on 31 October 2026. The presentation came during the seventh human spaceflight academic conference.

Chinese lunar lander mockup displayed in 2023.
Mockup displayed at the National Museum of China, June 2023. Archive photograph; this is not a vehicle in flight. — Shujianyang / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ — 22 juin 2023, redimensionnement.

Two rockets would separately send the Mengzhou spacecraft and Lanyue lander toward the Moon. After docking, astronauts would transfer to Lanyue to reach the surface and conduct research.

First flights of the new vehicles remain among the forthcoming steps. CCTV reports a target of landing Chinese astronauts before 2030. That timetable is a programme ambition: the sources consulted announce neither an imminent launch nor a completed crewed mission.

Sources 3