At 12:15 pm July 10, 2026, Beijing time, the Long March 10B carrier rocket lifts off from the Hainan commercial space launch site, successfully placing its satellite payload into the designated orbit and completing its maiden flight mission. Photo: Fan Wei/GT

China plans to land Chinese astronauts on the Moon before 2030, with a crew of three, two of whom are expected to set foot on the lunar surface, the Global Times learned from the 7th Human Space Symposium, held in Beijing on Saturday.

The country’s first manned lunar mission will employ a lunar-orbit rendezvous and docking profile, Wang Xiang, deputy chief designer of China’s manned space program and chief designer of the lunar exploration program, said at the symposium.

The crew for China’s first crewed lunar exploration mission is planned to consist of three taikonauts, two of whom will land on the lunar surface, Wang added.

A “two launches, one lunar landing” approach will be used for the mission. Under this mode, two Long March-10 carrier rockets will be used: First, the lander will be sent into lunar orbit, after which a crewed spacecraft will launch to rendezvous and dock with the lander.

Two taikonauts will then enter the lander, which will separate from the crewed spacecraft and land on the lunar surface to carry out scientific exploration activities.

After completing the mission, the taikonauts will ascend from the lunar surface aboard the lander, conduct a second rendezvous and docking with the crewed spacecraft in lunar orbit, and return to Earth aboard the crewed spacecraft.

At present, research, development and construction work for the lunar landing phase of China’s lunar exploration program is progressing steadily.