Early Tuesday, China successfully completed a pad abort test for its next-generation crew spacecraft, Mengzhou, designed for both moon and low Earth orbit missions. The zero-altitude test, conducted at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, began at 12:30 a.m. Eastern time (0430 UTC; 12:30 p.m. Beijing time).
China's human spaceflight agency, CMSEO, reported that an ignition command triggered the Mengzhou spacecraft’s launch escape system. Footage shows the escape system rapidly propelling the spacecraft away from the ground. Approximately 20 seconds later, it reached a predetermined altitude. The return capsule detached from the escape tower, its parachutes deployed, and it landed safely in the designated zone using an airbag system at 12:32 a.m. CMSEO declared the test a complete success.
This test verified the systems designed to safely remove astronauts from the crew module during emergencies. It’s a crucial milestone in China's goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030. A further in-flight escape test at maximum dynamic pressure is planned later this year, though the location and exact timing remain undisclosed. There’s speculation it may involve a Long March 5B rocket or a purpose-built test rocket, possibly launching from the Wenchang spaceport.
This marks China's first such test since the Shenzhou spacecraft's pad abort test in 1998. CMSEO highlights that Mengzhou differs from the Shenzhou's system, taking full responsibility for both abort control and crew safety. NASA conducted a similar test for its Orion crew vehicle in 2010.
Mengzhou, meaning "dream vessel," boasts a modular design with two variants: one for low Earth orbit (LEO) missions and another for crewed lunar missions. The LEO variant can carry up to seven astronauts to the Tiangong space station, or fewer astronauts and up to 500 kilograms of cargo. The lunar variant, weighing up to 26,000 kilograms, will carry three astronauts to lunar orbit to dock with a separately launched landing stack. A boilerplate Mengzhou underwent a high-speed reentry test in 2020.
CMSEO emphasizes Mengzhou’s central role in future space station operations and lunar exploration. “The success of this test lays an important technical foundation for future crewed lunar missions,” their statement read. Development of supporting systems, including the Long March 10 launch vehicle and lunar lander, is progressing, with further testing scheduled.
The Long March 10, using three 5.0-meter-diameter core stages powered by YF-100K engines, is under construction at Wenchang on Hainan island. Its development builds upon the Long March 5.