Space-savvy audiences at this year's Airshow China can catch a glimpse of the model of the country's next-generation manned rocket for a moon landing, and a life-size replica of the orbiting China Space Station. 

With a takeoff weight of 2,100 tonnes, the new launch vehicle is 90 meters long. It has a lunar-transfer-orbit capacity of 27 tonnes and a near-Earth orbit capacity of 70 tonnes.

The rocket to carry taikonauts is expected to make its maiden flight in 2027, said Zhao Xinguo, an official at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, at the ongoing 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in the port city of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.

Apart from the manned rocket, the airshow also displays a model of a new heavy-lift rocket with greater carrying capacities.

According to Zhao, it is capable of sending a payload of 50 tonnes to the Earth-moon transfer orbit, 35 tonnes to the Mars transfer orbit, and 150 tonnes to the near-Earth orbit.

The rocket is under development and scheduled to be launched around 2030, Zhao added. 

China's Phase-4 moon mission

Phase four of China's lunar exploration program has obtained state approval and is proceeding smoothly, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on Saturday, following the country's announcement of the discovery of new mineral Changesite-(Y) on September 9.

The Phase-4 lunar mission, consisting of the Chang'e-6, -7, and -8, is to be carried out successively in 10 years with the aims of exploring the moon's South Pole region and building a basic structure for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), said Liu Jizhong, director of Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center under the CNSA.

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Life-size China Space Station replica

Visitors are also able to have immersive experiences in the country's "space home," as a life-size replica of the orbiting China Space Station is on display.

The layout of the T-shape structure at the show, with a core module at the center and a lab capsule on each side, is identical to what it looks like in space. Besides traveling through the interior cabins, viewers can also take a closer look at the equipment outside the cabin, such as solar wings, relay antennas, and robotic arms.

The simulated Tianhe core module has been one of the most eye-catching exhibits due to its large size. According to Wang Xin, a deputy commander responsible for the space station system at the China Academy of Space Technology, the space module is longer than a five-story building and wider than a train or subway car.

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(with input from Xinhua)