China accelerates crewed lunar mission with commercial partnerships and testing milestones

China accelerates crewed lunar mission with commercial partnerships and testing milestones
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Oct 31, 2025

China is integrating commercial competition into its manned lunar exploration program to hasten development. The agency has adopted competitive models for the crewed lunar rover, lunar surface remote-sensing satellites, and low-cost cargo transport systems for the space station. Contracts have been awarded through competitive selection, and development is in progress. The scale and share of commercial participants have increased significantly, contributing substantially to program acceleration.

Looking forward, commercial competition will extend to developing scientific payloads including a lunar scientific probe platform and crater-detection systems. China remains committed to landing astronauts on the moon by 2030, with a detailed schedule of development and testing underway.

Key upcoming tests include integrated trials for the Lanyue lunar lander, thermal and maximum dynamic pressure escape tests on the Mengzhou manned spacecraft, and low-altitude and technology verification flights on the Long March-10 carrier rocket. The Mengzhou-1 spacecraft mission will feature in a public logo solicitation campaign, serving lunar missions and supporting space station operations in low Earth orbit.

Preliminary prototyping is complete for critical hardware: the Long March-10 rocket, Mengzhou spacecraft, Lanyue lander, Wangyu lunar extravehicular suit, and Tansuo crewed lunar rover. Scientific payload designs are finalized, and ground infrastructure such as launch site, tracking networks, and landing sites on Earth are under accelerated development.

Several tests have been completed this year, including the Long March-10 second-stage propulsion and captive firing tests, the zero-altitude escape test of the Mengzhou spacecraft, and comprehensive landing and takeoff verification for the Lanyue lander. Despite progress, many new technologies require further validation under tight timelines and high-quality standards.

China has carried out a pivotal full-scale test of the Lanyue lander, simulating lunar surface landing and takeoff in an environment replicating lunar terrain and gravity. The lander is designed to carry two astronauts, scientific equipment, life-support, and supplies for extended surface missions. This test verified propulsion, guidance, control, and mechanical systems, marking a significant step towards the 2030 lunar landing goal.

The Long March-10 rocket has also passed a major static fire test involving seven engines igniting simultaneously, reaching nearly 1,000 tonnes of thrust - the largest ever conducted in China, supporting the lunar program launch needs.