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Mengzhou (spacecraft)
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Mengzhou (spacecraft)
The Mengzhou (Chinese: 梦舟; pinyin: mèng zhōu; lit. 'Dream Vessel'), formerly known as the Next-Generation Crewed Spacecraft, is crewed spacecraft in development by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). Its crewed flight capability is expected around 2027–2028. It comprises a seven-astronaut capacity crew module and an expendable service module for propulsion, solar power, and life support. Its role is similar to the operational US Orion and projected Russian Orel lunar spacecraft.
The lunar landing version is designed to enter lunar orbit and dock with the Lanyue lander, each separately launched on a Long March 10 rocket. Unlike Shenzhou, China's only crewed spacecraft since 2005, it will be more radiation hardened and suitable for the more ionized atmospheric entry at lunar return velocity. The near-Earth version focuses on reusablility, launching crews on the Long March 10A to the Tiangong space station, replacing Shenzhou. Both versions will be the first crewed flights from China's southernmost Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan.
Uncrewed orbital return tests were conducted with a scale model in 2016 and full-scale craft aboard a Long March 5B in 2020; the latter used a skip maneuver re-entry from medium Earth orbit. After a 2025 pad abort test, in February 2026 a Mengzhou craft was mated to a Long March 10 test stage, testing the launch escape system during the max q flight phase. The Mengzhou 1 uncrewed test flight aims to dock with Tiangong in late 2026.
The spacecraft's name, Mengzhou (lit. 'dream vessel'), references the goal of lunar exploration and has been associated with Xi Jinping's Chinese Dream concept. The crewed lunar lander's name, Lanyue (揽月; lǎn yuè; 'embracing the Moon'), derives from a line in Mao Zedong's 1965 poem "Climbing Jinggang Mountain", in which embracing the Moon is described as an aspiration. The names were announced in February 2024 following a public naming competition. Commentators have described the pairing of references to Xi Jinping and Mao Zedong in the spacecraft names as symbolically linking the two leaders.
Intended to replace the Shenzhou spacecraft, the new vehicle is larger and lunar-capable. It consists of two modules: a crew module that returns to Earth, and an expendable service module to provide propulsion, power and life support for the crew module while in space. It is capable of carrying six astronauts, or three astronauts and 500 kg (1,100 lb) of cargo. The new crew module is partially reusable with its detachable heat shields, while the spacecraft as a whole features a modular design that allows it to be constructed to meet different mission demands. With its propulsion and power module, the crew spacecraft measures nearly 8.8 metres (29 ft) long. It weighs around 21,600 kg (47,600 lb) fully loaded with equipment and propellant, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). Lunar missions undertaken by the Mengzhou spacecraft and the Lanyue lander are planned by 2030.
The returned test vehicle was temporarily displayed at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2021.
On 29 October 2024, CMSA announced that a series of major ground tests have been completed on the spacecraft, including an integrated airdrop test.
The maiden flight of the Long March 7 launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on 25 June 2016 at 12:00 UTC, carrying a scaled prototype of Mengzhou known as the multipurpose spacecraft scale return capsule. The capsule returned successfully, landing in the desert of Mongolia on 26 June 2016 at 07:41 UTC.
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Mengzhou (spacecraft)
The Mengzhou (Chinese: 梦舟; pinyin: mèng zhōu; lit. 'Dream Vessel'), formerly known as the Next-Generation Crewed Spacecraft, is crewed spacecraft in development by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). Its crewed flight capability is expected around 2027–2028. It comprises a seven-astronaut capacity crew module and an expendable service module for propulsion, solar power, and life support. Its role is similar to the operational US Orion and projected Russian Orel lunar spacecraft.
The lunar landing version is designed to enter lunar orbit and dock with the Lanyue lander, each separately launched on a Long March 10 rocket. Unlike Shenzhou, China's only crewed spacecraft since 2005, it will be more radiation hardened and suitable for the more ionized atmospheric entry at lunar return velocity. The near-Earth version focuses on reusablility, launching crews on the Long March 10A to the Tiangong space station, replacing Shenzhou. Both versions will be the first crewed flights from China's southernmost Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan.
Uncrewed orbital return tests were conducted with a scale model in 2016 and full-scale craft aboard a Long March 5B in 2020; the latter used a skip maneuver re-entry from medium Earth orbit. After a 2025 pad abort test, in February 2026 a Mengzhou craft was mated to a Long March 10 test stage, testing the launch escape system during the max q flight phase. The Mengzhou 1 uncrewed test flight aims to dock with Tiangong in late 2026.
The spacecraft's name, Mengzhou (lit. 'dream vessel'), references the goal of lunar exploration and has been associated with Xi Jinping's Chinese Dream concept. The crewed lunar lander's name, Lanyue (揽月; lǎn yuè; 'embracing the Moon'), derives from a line in Mao Zedong's 1965 poem "Climbing Jinggang Mountain", in which embracing the Moon is described as an aspiration. The names were announced in February 2024 following a public naming competition. Commentators have described the pairing of references to Xi Jinping and Mao Zedong in the spacecraft names as symbolically linking the two leaders.
Intended to replace the Shenzhou spacecraft, the new vehicle is larger and lunar-capable. It consists of two modules: a crew module that returns to Earth, and an expendable service module to provide propulsion, power and life support for the crew module while in space. It is capable of carrying six astronauts, or three astronauts and 500 kg (1,100 lb) of cargo. The new crew module is partially reusable with its detachable heat shields, while the spacecraft as a whole features a modular design that allows it to be constructed to meet different mission demands. With its propulsion and power module, the crew spacecraft measures nearly 8.8 metres (29 ft) long. It weighs around 21,600 kg (47,600 lb) fully loaded with equipment and propellant, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). Lunar missions undertaken by the Mengzhou spacecraft and the Lanyue lander are planned by 2030.
The returned test vehicle was temporarily displayed at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2021.
On 29 October 2024, CMSA announced that a series of major ground tests have been completed on the spacecraft, including an integrated airdrop test.
The maiden flight of the Long March 7 launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on 25 June 2016 at 12:00 UTC, carrying a scaled prototype of Mengzhou known as the multipurpose spacecraft scale return capsule. The capsule returned successfully, landing in the desert of Mongolia on 26 June 2016 at 07:41 UTC.
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