China Plans to Send Three Astronauts to the Moon — Two Will Land
Monday, November 2, 2026216 words3 minutes601 reads
China's planned first crewed Moon landing will divide a three-person crew between the lunar surface and orbit. Two astronauts will descend in the Lanyue lander, while a third remains aboard Mengzhou above the Moon. Details outlined in Beijing on October 31 describe a mission architecture intended to achieve a landing before 2030, rather than a confirmed flight date.
Two separate rocket launches will send the lander and crewed spacecraft toward the Moon. They must rendezvous and dock in lunar orbit before two astronauts can transfer into Lanyue. After scientific work on the surface, the pair will launch from the Moon and reconnect with Mengzhou. All three crew members will then return to Earth together.
Separating the launches avoids placing both vehicles on a single rocket, but makes successful orbital docking indispensable. Reaching the surface is therefore only one stage of a journey that also depends on ascent, reunion and a safe return. The astronaut remaining in orbit has a distinct role in that sequence, rather than simply missing the landing.
The arrangement recalls Apollo 11, whose three-person crew included two surface explorers and one astronaut in orbit. Unlike China's proposed two-launch approach, Apollo 11 launched its spacecraft together. China's equipment still requires testing, including an uncrewed lander flight; the landing date and crew identities remain unannounced.
