Next-generation_crewed_spacecraft
Mengzhou (spacecraft)
Chinese deep-space crewed spacecraft in development
The Mengzhou (Chinese: 梦舟; pinyin: mèng zhōu), formerly known as the next-generation crewed spacecraft (Chinese: 新一代载人飞船; pinyin: xīnyīdài zàirén fēichuán), is a type of reusable spacecraft developed and manufactured by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The prototype of the spacecraft underwent its first uncrewed test flight on 5 May 2020.
The crew carrier is designed to conduct lunar exploration in conjunction with China's future lunar descent spacecraft, the Lanyue lander, by the end of this decade. A low-earth orbit (LEO) version of the spacecraft intended to ferry astronauts to the Tiangong Space Station is also under development; this LEO version will serve as a modern replacement for the existing Shenzhou spacecraft.[8] The new spacecraft is expected to attain crewed flight capability around 2025-2026.
On the Chinese Lantern Festival (Feb. 24, 2024), a traditional holiday that celebrates family reunion and ancestral worship, China unveiled the official names of its new vehicles for its future crewed lunar exploration missions. The crewed spacecraft is called Mengzhou (Chinese: 梦舟; pinyin: mèng zhōu), meaning “Dream Vessel”, which indicates the role of the spacecraft in realizing the dream of landing on the moon and exploring new frontiers in space. The crewed lunar lander is named "Lanyue" (Chinese: 揽月; pinyin: lǎn yuè), meaning “Embracing the Moon”, which signifies the aspiration and vision of China to explore the lunar frontier and establish a permanent presence there. [9][8]