China’s space agency has revealed the names of the spacecraft that it hopes will take Chinese astronauts to the moon by the end of the decade. The craft are part of an ambitious program Beijing hopes will confirm its status as a major space power. China has not released a date for its expected manned lunar mission but has said it would take place by 2030 as it aims to become only the second country to land astronauts on the moon. The name Mengzhou is linked to the “Chinese nation’s dream of landing on the moon,” it added. The United States is ramping up its lunar program, with NASA last month announcing its plan to land astronauts on the moon in 2026, a year behind its original schedule.

Source: CNN February 26, 2024 10:15 UTC