Test marks ‘a major milestone’ in lunar landing effort, space agency says
China has completed a critical landing and take-off test of its crewed lunar lander, moving a step closer to putting astronauts on the moon before 2030.
A prototype of the four-legged Lanyue (“embrace the moon”) lander – designed to ferry two astronauts between lunar orbit and the surface – underwent a comprehensive trial on Wednesday in Huailai County, in north China’s Hebei province, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Thursday.
Using giant tether towers to mimic lunar gravity and a cratered field to simulate the moon’s rugged terrain, the test was designed to ascertain how well Lanyue’s systems work together, from its landing and ascent design to the control system, engine shutdown on touchdown, and coordination among guidance, navigation and propulsion systems.
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