At Beijing's 7th Manned Space Symposium, which opened Oct. 31, deputy chief designer of China's manned space program Wang Xiang outlined plans to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030, CCTV reported. Xinhua also covered his symposium briefing. Wang is also chief designer of the lunar exploration program. China News Service carried those state-media accounts. China Manned Space Agency hosted the meeting, which drew more than 800 experts and scholars, officials there said.
Under that plan, two Long March-10 rockets would separately send Lanyue and Mengzhou into Earth-Moon transfer orbit for docking around the Moon, Xinhua reported, as did CCTV. Astronauts would then transfer from Mengzhou into Lanyue for descent and surface work, Xinhua reported. CCTV said Mengzhou can carry three astronauts from Earth into lunar orbit; two would ride Lanyue down onto the surface. Wang told CCTV the first crewed landing would carry a lunar rover.
Wang's planning rules, according to CCTV, call for verifying lunar-orbit tasks near Earth at the space station when feasible, and flying crewed steps without a crew whenever practical. An Earth-orbit Long March-10 would first loft a station-bound Mengzhou to prove rocket basics and craft reentry before lunar versions fly, CCTV reported.