China Announces Spacecraft Name That Will Take Astronauts on the Moon

China is making progress with its moon mission. The Asian nation just announced the name of the spacecraft that would take its human crew to the moon.

China Announces the Name of Spacecraft For Moon Mission

The spacecraft China's human spaceflight agency is developing to land men on the moon have been given names. The spaceship that will carry humans beyond low Earth orbit is called Mengzhou, and the lunar lander is called Lanyue.

Meaning "Embracing the Moon," Lanyue references the poet Li Bai of the Tang period. According to a news release from China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the selected name is found in a poem by Mao Zedong. Mengzhou, on the other hand, translates to "Dream Vessel" and is consistent with the name convention for China's Shenzhou and Tanzhou spacecraft, which are presently used to transport cargo and humans to the Tiangong space station in low Earth orbit (LEO).

In August 2023, CMSA held a public competition to help name the spacecraft. The organization reported 2,000 entries from businesses and individuals of all backgrounds. A group of experts chose the final names.

It will have a low-Earth orbit (LEO) version that can accommodate seven astronauts, while Mengzhou, the moon version, will carry three men into lunar orbit. Mengzhou was formerly called the placeholder term "next-generation crewed spacecraft." According to China, the spacecraft underwent a boilerplate test flight in 2020, and a full debut flight is anticipated in 2027.

More About China's Moon Mission

The spacecraft and lander are being designed and constructed by the nation's principal space contractor, the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). To launch the new spacecraft, CASC is also creating the Long March 10 rocket.

China plans to launch two Long March 10 rockets, based on the existing Long March 5, to carry out its lunar landing. Long March 10 will transport Mengzhou, and Lanyue will be launched by the other. After that, the two spacecraft collide and dock in lunar orbit.

After that, two astronauts will go to the lander and descend to the lunar surface, with the third astronaut remaining in Mengzhou. An independent propulsion stage will facilitate Lanyue's descent and landing on the moon. A crew rover weighing 440 pounds (200 kg) will also be carried by it. After a short visit to the lunar surface, Lanyue will return the astronauts to lunar orbit. After that, the two spacecraft will reunite and dock again to prepare for the astronauts' return trip to Earth.

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U.S. Determine To Land on Moon Before China

In January, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the U.S. House of Representatives convened to discuss the recently proposed Artemis plan. Several participants voiced reservations regarding the proposal, particularly given that China aimed to take humans to the moon.

Four witnesses testified during the hearing -- George Scott, the acting inspector general of NASA; Catherine Koerner, assistant administrator for the agency's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate; William Russell, the director of contracting and national security procurement for the U.S. government; and Mike Griffin, the president and co-founder of the consulting business LogiQ and the former administrator of NASA from 2005 to 2009.

"We believe that - and our administrator spoke about it just last week - that we will be on the surface of the Moon before China is. And it's our intent for that to happen," Koener said, referencing comments made by NASA chief Bill Nelson.

Rich McCormick (R-GA) admitted that China hoped to overtake the U.S. by 2045 to become the world's leading space nation. He said they couldn't let it happen, adding that their technological superiority in space will safeguard the nation's economy and innovations that will benefit humanity.

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