Long March-10, aka The Chinese StarShip, successfully completed a critical low-altitude demonstration and verification flight test on February 11, 2026, at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, China.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_March_10This test marked the first ignition flight of the Long March-10 rocket in its initial prototype configuration and validated key technologies for China’s 2030 crewed lunar landing goal. And was a significant breakthrough in China's manned Lunar Exploration program, said the China Space Agency.
The mission simultaneously tested the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft’s maximum dynamic pressure abort system, simulating an emergency at the point of highest aerodynamic stress during ascent. The spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket, deployed parachutes, and splashed down safely in the sea. This was China’s first maximum dynamic pressure abort test for a crewed spacecraft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengzhou_(spacecraft)
Mengzhou consists of two modules: a crew module that returns to Earth, and an expendable service module to provide propulsion, power and life support for the crew module while in space. The crew carrier is designed to conduct lunar exploration in conjunction with China's future lunar descent spacecraft, the Lanyue lander.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LanyueAdditionally, the Long March-10’s first stage performed a controlled, propulsive descent and splashdown in the ocean, marking the first maritime recovery of a rocket first stage in China’s history..
The test used four foldable grid fins and a throttled YF-100K engine for precision landing control, with two engine restarts during descent - high-altitude for trajectory adjustment and hover ignition for final landing.
This integrated test confirmed the reusability of the Long March-10’s first stage, verified interface compatibility across systems, and provided vital flight data for future crewed lunar missions. It also marked the first use of a newly built launch pad at Wenchang dedicated to manned lunar missions.
The Long March 10 will go direct to the Moon without any refueling, carrying both the Mengzhou Orbiter and the Lander. [ Seems similar to the Blue Origin approach. ] That test demonstrated China is very close to launching a manned lunar mission.
The Chinese Mission Plan
There is every reason to believe they will definitely make the 2030 time frame and quite possibility sooner; based on what they have demonstrated so far, the ~2030 launch will be a cakewalk for them.
Remarkably, the booster continued its ascent without the crew capsule, soaring into space on the power of its kerosene-fueled YF-100 engines before re-entering the atmosphere, reigniting its engines, and nailing a propulsive landing in the South China Sea right next to a recovery barge, waiting to bring it back to shore. [ It missed the barge, but apparently did not explode in the water, or it wads not shown. ]
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China's Starship shocks the world! The PRC takes the lead in the Moon race! Video of launch and recovery included.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8JGfTXjj_gWhere China has the lead is that all of the mission components are maturing at the same time, unlike NASA's and SpaceX's piecemeal maturity. The Lanyue has carried out landings in simulated lunar gravity - NASA has not done this. Making the Chinese lead far in advance of NASA's.
The critical difference between NASA's and China's plans is that the same rocket is going to be transporting both of the Mengzhou Lander and the descent crew vehicle. While NASA is more advanced with the HLS and Orion, but with everything else, China is more advanced. Also a critical difference: there is no refueling needed with the Long March 10, so only 2 launches. Whereas NASA requires at least 11 launches of the biggest rocket in history.
NASA my have already lost this race. If China is the first to set down on the moon, and indeed even if they carry out a couple of lunar missions before NASA can set down, they can lay claim to the prime real estate on the lunar south pole, closest location to lunar ice, the flattest and most accessible landing sites, which by the way are hard to come by at the very rugged lunar south pole.
All of these things would be huge milestones for China to accomplish to seize control of the lunar south pole and something that the West really needs to respond to, if at all possible.
