China unveils further details of future manned lunar mission

SHENZHEN, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- China unveiled further details of its future manned lunar mission in a video released Thursday.

The animation in the video, released by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) at the Human Space Symposium, demonstrates astronauts driving a lunar rover on the surface of the moon, and displays a three-day driving route with the landing area at the center.

According to the video, China's manned lunar landing mission will focus on mastering critical technologies such as manned Earth-Moon round trips, short-term stays on the lunar surface, and human-robot collaborative exploration.

The mission will encompass a range of tasks, including landing, roving, sampling, research and returning to Earth.

China aims to achieve manned lunar landing by 2030. By utilizing pre-crewed flight tests and manned lunar missions, China plans to conduct large-scale space science experiments targeting three key areas, including lunar science, lunar-based science, and resource exploration and utilization.

Production and ground tests of prototypes of the Long March-10 carrier rocket, the manned spacecraft Mengzhou, the lunar lander Lanyue, the spacesuit to be worn by astronauts, and the lunar rover are underway as planned, according to the CMSA.

Ground facilities and equipment for the production and tests have been completed and are operational, and the construction of the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site is proceeding as planned.

At the Human Space Symposium, held Nov. 21-22 in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, academicians, leading domestic experts and astronauts will address topics such as the scientific achievements of the space station and the construction and operation of the national space laboratory.