China has successfully completed a crucial safety test for its Mengzhou spacecraft, a major step in preparations for a crewed moon mission by 2030. The test featured the first flight of the Long March-10 rocket from Hainan. The uncrewed vessel separated shortly after launch and splashed down in the ocean at its designated spot.
China has successfully completed a crucial safety test for the Mengzhou spacecraft and launched a new-generation rocket as part of preparations for a crewed moon mission. The Chinese space programme had already carried out a ground-level safety test in June, but the latest test was designed to check that crew members would be able to escape after lift-off.
The test also featured the first flight of a Long March-10 carrier rocket, which is being developed to launch Chinese astronauts to the moon. The uncrewed vessel took off from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre on the southern island of Hainan aboard a Long March-10 prototype test rocket at 11am on Wednesday.
The Mengzhou vessel separated from the rocket shortly after launch, before splashing down in the ocean at its designated landing spot, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The successful safety trial is a major step forward for the country’s plans to put astronauts on the moon by the end of the decade.
