China reaffirmed its commitment to landing astronauts on the moon by 2030, with officials stating that all key development programmes—including the Long March 10 rocket, lunar landing suits, crewed spacecraft, and lunar exploration vehicles—are advancing smoothly. The announcement came during a press briefing at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on October 30, 2025, ahead of the scheduled launch of the Shenzhou-19 mission. Zhang Jingbo, spokesman for the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), emphasised that the 2030 target remains firm, underscoring Beijing’s determination to establish itself as a leading space power alongside the United States.

The Shenzhou-19 crew—consisting of veteran astronaut Zhang Lu and rookies Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang—is set to blast off on October 31 at 11:44 p.m. local time aboard a Long March-2F rocket. The trio will dock with the Tiangong space station, where they will relieve the Shenzhou-18 team and conduct a six-month mission focused on scientific experiments, station maintenance, and technology verification. Notably, the astronauts will carry four mice—two male and two female—to study the biological impacts of long-duration spaceflight, microgravity, and confinement, contributing valuable data for future deep-space missions.

Tiangong, or “Heavenly Palace”, represents China’s independent orbital outpost, built after the country was barred from the International Space Station due to U.S. concerns over ties between the Chinese space programme and the People’s Liberation Army. Now in its final construction phase, the three-module station supports rotating crews and hosts a wide range of experiments in materials science, fluid physics, and life sciences. The successful operation of Tiangong has enabled China to master critical technologies like rendezvous, docking, and life support—foundational capabilities for its lunar ambitions.

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This dual-track progress—sustaining Tiangong while preparing for lunar landings—highlights China’s accelerating space agenda. The moon programme includes uncrewed test flights of the Long March 10 and the Mengzhou crew spacecraft, with a targeted landing site in the lunar south pole region, rich in water ice. As global competition in cislunar space intensifies, China’s steady milestones signal its intent to not only return humans to the moon but also establish a sustained presence through the International Lunar Research Station, in collaboration with Russia and other partners.

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