China names new vehicles for manned lunar exploration mission

China unveiled on Saturday the names of its new manned lunar exploration mission vehicles. The lunar lander is called "Lanyue" and the manned spacecraft "Mengzhou," according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The names were selected by a group of experts from nearly 2,000 public proposals, the agency said.

"Lanyue," which means "Embracing the Moon" in English, first appeared in a poem written by the late Chairman Mao Zedong in 1965, the agency added.

The word symbolizes China's aspiration and confidence in its exploration of the universe and expedition to the moon, according to the agency.

"Mengzhou," or "Dream Vessel," represents China's dream of landing on the moon to embark on a new journey of space adventure, according to the agency.

There will be two "Mengzhou" models. One will be used to transport astronauts to the moon and the other will replace the current Shenzhou spaceship to ferry crew members between Earth and the China space station (CSS), which has been orbiting around the Earth for nearly three years.

Last July, China announced its plan to conduct its first manned mission to the moon around 2030. 

According to the plan, the "Lanyue" lunar lander will consist of two parts: a lunar module and a propulsion module, with a weight of nearly 26 tonnes. It is capable of carrying two astronauts and a 200 kilogram rover to the surface of the moon. 

The lander has a lightweight design to improve structural efficiency and has a power redundancy function. Zhang Hailian, deputy chief designer of China's manned space program, explained that the lander's job is to bring the astronauts down from orbit around the moon to the surface and then return to lunar orbit.

The "Mengzhou" spacecraft will consist of two major components: a reentry module that will house astronauts and serve as the control center during spaceflight, and a service module containing power and propulsion systems. 

According to the plan, the spacecraft will be nearly 9 meters in length, 4.5 meters in diameter, and 22 metric tonnes in weight, capable of housing three astronauts. 

Currently, the research and development of the "Mengzhou," the "Lanyue," and a super-heavy-lift carrier rocket named Long March-10 are progressing well, according to the release. 

The Long March-10 carrier rocket has two configuration designs: a standard combination of first, second, and third stage cores, escape tower, and fairing, with boosters or without boosters. The variant with boosters will be used to send the lunar lander and the spacecraft into trans-lunar orbit. 

Weighing 2,187 tonnes, the 92-meter-tall rocket variant is more powerful, with 2,678 tonnes at liftoff, a significant increase compared to the country's current most powerful carrier rocket, the Long March-5, with a liftoff thrust of over 1,000 tonnes.