China’s secretive space program has made significant strides in its ambitious plan to land astronauts on the lunar surface by 2030. The latest milestone came when the China Manned Space Agency successfully tested a high-fidelity mockup of its “Lanyue” lunar lander, simulating lunar gravity and testing landing and takeoff capabilities.
The test marked a key step in the development of China’s manned lunar exploration program, with the agency confirming plans to achieve this goal before 2030. This progress follows recent successes, including a successful 30-second test firing of the Long March 10 rocket’s center core and a launch escape system test for the new Mengzhou spacecraft.
China is now on track to land humans on the Moon within the next decade, with its space program making demonstrable progress in all three major elements: launching a crew spacecraft, developing a lunar lander, and constructing a large rocket. The US and its allies may view this achievement as historic, but for China, it’s just another step towards becoming a leading player in space exploration.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/08/after-recent-tests-china-appears-likely-to-beat-the-united-states-back-to-the-moon