China makes progress on lunar mission with new rocket and spacecraft

China is in the process of designing a new spacecraft and rocket, named “Long March-10,” as part of its lunar mission plans, aiming to deploy astronauts to the Moon within this decade, as per Xinhua space agency.

The Long March-10 is primarily tasked with delivering the spacecraft and lunar lander to the Earth-Moon transfer orbit.

This rocket is propelled by liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, and kerosene, and measures roughly 92 meters long.

With a liftoff weight of approximately 2,187 tons, it can carry at least 27 tons of payload to the Earth-Moon transfer orbit.

The rocket’s maiden flight is slated for 2027.

The new spacecraft, designed for both near-Earth and deep-space missions, consists of two parts: a command and living quarters capsule, and a power center module.

As per agency experts, this two-part design with multiple reusable components offers flexibility.

These developments are part of China’s expanding space exploration program, which has already marked significant achievements, including sending probes and rovers to the Moon and Mars.

The country has also revealed plans to establish a scientific exploration base at the Moon’s south pole within the next ten years.