China unveils 2026 space mission lineup: Mengzhou-1 spaceship and Long March-10A rocket set for debut

China's Long March-10A carrier rocket and Mengzhou-1 manned spaceship will make their debut in 2026, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Saturday.

The Mengzhou-1 mission is one of the four key missions planned for the coming year. The other three are the Shenzhou-22 and Shenzhou-23 manned missions and the Tianzhou-10 cargo mission.

The CMSA also initiated a public call for mission insignia designs for all four flights.

The Shenzhou-22 and Shenzhou-23 missions will be launched from northwest China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Both crews will consist of three astronauts. Upon reaching the China Space Station, Shenzhou-22 is scheduled to dock at the radial port of the core module, while Shenzhou-23 will attach to the forward port.

A key objective during these two missions is a pioneering long-duration stay experiment. Specifically, one Shenzhou-22 crew member will undertake a residence trial lasting over one year. The Shenzhou-22 crew will also conduct crucial extravehicular activities, perform cargo transfer operations through the airlock, continue ongoing space science and technology experiments, manage the space station platform, handle astronaut support tasks and engage in public outreach and educational activities.

The Tianzhou-10 cargo resupply vessel and the Mengzhou-1 crewed spacecraft are planned to be launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site located in south China's Hainan Province.

The Mengzhou spacecraft represents a comprehensive upgrade from the Shenzhou line, designed as a new-generation crewed vehicle for Earth-to-orbit transport. Featuring a modular design composed of a re-entry capsule and a service module, Mengzhou-1 will dock at the core module's radial port. Its main objective will be to fully validate the Mengzhou system's operational status. It will also carry equipment for environmental assessment, technical verification products, long-duration stay supplies and research apparatus for various application fields.

China has designed mission insignia for every crewed flight since the Shenzhou-5 mission in 2003. Since 2023, the agency has publicly solicited insignia designs for all annual human spaceflight missions.