China eyes 2030 lunar landing

Tiangong provides training, testing and tech validation for moon missions

The Tiangong space station program will provide strong support for realizing China's goal of sending astronauts to the moon by 2030, according to a spokesman for the China Manned Space Agency.

Zhang Jingbo, who is also a senior engineer at the agency, said at a news conference on Saturday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center that Tiangong, as a national-level space laboratory, can support manned lunar exploration in three major aspects.

"First, our crewed spaceflight missions have nurtured a team of seasoned astronauts with extensive experience. This forms a solid talent reserve for crew selection in follow-up manned lunar missions. Second, our space station has been operating steadily in orbit for nearly four years and has served as a platform for astronauts to verify key technologies for manned lunar landings," he said.