China carried out a new trial run of the main rocket engine for the manned lunar mission on Saturday, paving the way for the nation's first-ever moon landing endeavor.

The ignition test has provided crucial information for the future development of the rocket, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

The engine in the test has been modified based on the high-thrust liquid oxygen-kerosene engine used in the Long March-5 currently in service, which is capable of 130 tonnes of thrust. The engine will be used for the first stage of the Long March-10 and the boosters for China's moon landing mission.

Zhou Xianqi, a researcher with the CASC, said the trial met relevant test requirements and several high-altitude simulation tests will be conducted in the second half of this year to finalize the relevant performance and parameters.

According to the CASC, the development incorporates a slew of new materials, technologies, and manufacturing approaches with several technical breakthroughs, providing a solid foundation for the next development phase.

The engine test run, which took an accumulative 55 minutes, created a national record for a single engine over 100 tonnes and comprised many small tests lasting from a hundredth of a second to seconds and served to verify the rocket engine's functionality and reliability. 

Lyu Fazheng, chief designer of the rocket series with the CASC, said the test runs can test a part of or the whole component to see if it works – from as small as a valve to the whole engine.

The researchers also upgraded the technology so that the engine requires less space, creating room for the addition of more engines to boost overall power.

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