China conducted a successful hot fire test of a Long March 10 rocket stage on September 12, a major step forward in its plans to land astronauts on the moon. The test, conducted at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, involved a 320-second burn of seven YF-100K engines. "Complete test data were obtained, and the test was a complete success,” a statement from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) declared.

The test focused on evaluating the engines' performance under low-thrust conditions and their ability to be restarted. Videos circulating on Chinese social media suggest three separate burns, indicating successful reignition, crucial for launch, re-entry, and landing. This aligns with the stated recovery and reuse objectives of the Long March 10 program.

This follows an earlier test on August 15, and both tests have validated the first-stage propulsion system and recovery program design. The Long March 10, a three-stage rocket, is designed for China's crewed lunar landing mission, aiming to land astronauts on the moon before 2030 using two rockets to send a crewed spacecraft and lunar lander.

The mission involves the Mengzhou spacecraft and the Lanyue lunar lander. Two astronauts will descend to the moon for a short stay. China also plans the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) and a sustained lunar presence. A smaller variant, the Long March 10A, is also under development for reusable launches.

Further tests are planned, including a full first-stage test with potential launch and landing attempts. CASC is also working on the Long March 12A for orbital launch and recovery. The rapid progress has raised concerns in the U.S., particularly given the complexities of NASA's Artemis program. Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine stated, "Look at the architecture that we have developed to land American astronauts on the moon…It is highly unlikely that we will land on the moon before China."

The U.S. aims for a crewed lunar flyby with Artemis 2 in early 2026 and a landing with Artemis 3 in 2027, dependent on SpaceX's Starship.