The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has revealed details of a planned manned lunar landing, which sees it landing two astronauts on the moon before the decade is out. The astronauts are expected to conduct research and scientific explorations on lunar surface. It will make China the second country to land astronauts on the moon.
Speaking at the ninth China (International) Commercial Aerospace Forum held in Wuhan, Hubei Province on July 12, CMSA deputy general designer Zhang Hailian said the mission is part of a program to establish a lunar research station.
Zhang said two Long March-10 carrier rockets will send the lander and manned spaceship up to orbit the moon separately. The crew module and the lander will rendezvous before soft landing on the surface. The lander is capable of returning the crew to the spaceship in lunar orbit.
Chinese scientists are now developing the new generation of Long March-10 rockets for the manned lunar mission, crew capsules, the lander and a lunar rover that can carry two astronauts.
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