China's Ambitious Lunar Landing Plan Takes Shape

China has presented a preliminary plan to land two astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade. The mission involves launching a crewed spacecraft and lander segments separately on Long March 10 rockets, which will rendezvous and dock in lunar orbit. The crew spacecraft will have a mass of 26 tons and be capable of deep space flight, while the lander will have a mass of around 26 tons and be equipped with engines for soft landing and return to lunar orbit. The mission also includes a lunar rover, spacesuit development, and a call for science payloads. China aims to build a moon base known as the International Lunar Research Station in the 2030s.