Chinese Stuff

[Yazata]

China has released what are said to be the first photos of the mockup of their crewed lunar lander. (Planned launch date around 2030.) It looks small, about the size of the Apollo lunar lander.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a space race!

[Image: Gc4npe-XkAAMmRq?format=jpg&name=large]

[Yazata]

The Chinese appear to be serious about putting humans on the Moon.

For whatever it's worth, here is a poster from some kind of conference showing them targeting 2029 for their crew landing. The 4th and 5th flights of their LM-10 Moon rocket will be crewed landings. The first three flights will be uncrewed test flights plus a crewed flight to Lunar orbit without a landing.

(Source Cosmic Penguin who reports on Chinese space developments.)

[Image: GoytC86aAAAn1LA?format=jpg&name=small]

Here's a photo from the Chinese social media site Weibo showing their Moon rocket launch pad under construction at Wenchang. Its layout appears similar to Starbase Pad B, tower and flame trench. It's a fairly standard layout.

[Image: Go1iH3jXgAA5CiI?format=jpg&name=large]

nsNS