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Lanyue

China's crewed lunar lander, scheduled for first test flight in 2027.

Last refreshed: 2 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Can China's lunar lander be ready by 2027?

Timeline for Lanyue

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Background

Lanyue's first test flight is planned for 2027, making it the second major milestone in China's two-step hardware schedule before a crewed 2030 landing. A slip in the Lanyue schedule would directly threaten the viability of the 2030 goal that RAND assessed as credible.

Developed by CASC, Lanyue is designed to land 2 astronauts on the lunar surface. The two-launch architecture flies Mengzhou (with crew) and Lanyue (uncrewed) separately on Long March 10 rockets; the vehicles rendezvous and dock in lunar orbit before two crew transfer to the lander for descent.

Lanyue is China's equivalent to the SpaceX Starship Human Landing System in the Artemis architecture. Where Starship is a large reusable vehicle repurposed for lunar use, Lanyue is purpose-built and smaller, optimised for the two-launch profile China has adopted.

Common Questions
What is China's Lanyue lander?
Lanyue is China's crewed lunar lander, developed by CASC. It is designed to land 2 astronauts on the surface and pairs with the Mengzhou capsule in a two-launch architecture.Source: background
When will Lanyue fly?
Lanyue's first test flight is planned for 2027, two years before China's 2030 crewed lunar landing target.Source: quick_facts
How does China plan to land on the Moon?
China uses a two-launch architecture. Long March 10 launches Mengzhou (with crew) and Lanyue (lander) separately; they rendezvous in lunar orbit and 2 crew descend in Lanyue.Source: background
How does Lanyue compare to SpaceX HLS?
Both are crewed lunar landers for 2030-era missions. Starship HLS is large and reusable, repurposed from a general-purpose vehicle. Lanyue is purpose-built and smaller, optimised for China's two-launch profile.Source: background