China confirms it’s “On Track” to land astronauts on the moon by 2030

China announced Thursday that it remains firmly on course to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, reaffirming its growing ambitions to become a global leader in space exploration.

The update came as China unveiled the next crew headed for its Tiangong space station — the latest step in the nation’s rapidly advancing space program.

“Each stage of our lunar research and development work is progressing smoothly,” said Zhang Jingbo, spokesperson for the China Manned Space Program. He cited significant progress on the Long March 10 rocket, moon landing suits, and a new lunar exploration vehicle. “Our goal of landing Chinese astronauts on the moon by 2030 is unwavering,” Zhang added.

Astronauts for the upcoming Shenzhou 21 mission, from left, Zhang Hongzhang, Zhang Lu and Wu Fei attend a meeting with the press at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwest China, Thursday.

Next Stop: Tiangong Space Station

Before the moon mission, China will send a new three-member crew to its orbiting Tiangong (“Heavenly Palace”) Space Station on Friday at 11:44 p.m. local time.

The crew includes veteran astronaut Zhang Lu and first-time space travelers Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang. They’ll spend six months aboard Tiangong conducting scientific experiments and station maintenance.

In a unique twist, the crew will also bring along four mice — two male and two female — to study how microgravity and long-term confinement affect living organisms, offering insights for future long-duration missions.

China’s Growing Space Ambitions

China began building the Tiangong station after being excluded from the International Space Station (ISS) due to U.S. concerns over military ties to the Chinese space program. In the years since, China has built a fully operational orbital outpost and sent multiple crews to live and work there.

Now, with its sights set on the moon, China is positioning itself as the biggest challenger to U.S. dominance in space exploration.

If successful, the 2030 moon landing would mark a new milestone — making China only the second nation ever to put humans on the lunar surface.