China plans to launch its next-generation manned spacecraft around 2027, which can take astronauts to the moon and beyond.

“Next generation spacecraft will be used in manned missions in the future” missions to the moon“To build our space station and explore the depths of space,” Yang Liwei, deputy chief designer of China’s manned spaceflight program, said at a university on Tuesday (July 18th). Daily.

Yang said the first flights are predicted to take place between 2027 and 2028. China tested a prototype version of the spacecraft in 2020 as part of a test. lunch space station modules Returned test capsule expose.

New spacecraft is part of China’s dispatch plan Several astronauts per month by 2030. The spacecraft will be partially reusable and is being developed for spacecraft launch. a new rocket recently named Long March 10.

The deep-space version of the spacecraft will be able to carry three astronauts into lunar orbit, while the low-Earth orbit version will be able to carry four to seven astronauts to China’s recently completed space station. tiangong.

China is currently using the Shenzhou spacecraft to send three astronauts into low Earth orbit. In 2003, Yang became the country’s first astronaut in orbit on the Shenzhou 5 mission. Shenzhou 16 is in Tiangong. The three astronauts arrived at the station on May 30 for a stay of about six months. Source