Shenzhou-23 launches on Sunday, the 40th flight to date, technology tests on Tianzhou-10, and three areas of support from the orbital station

As reported by CCTV+, the China Manned Space Agency has stated that space station missions will lay a solid foundation for the first manned moon landing in 2030.

The launch of China’s manned spacecraft Shenzhou-23 is scheduled for 23:08 on Sunday (Beijing time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It is the seventh manned mission in the development phase of China’s space station and the 40th flight under China’s manned space program.

CMSA spokesperson Zhang Jingbo explained that the space station provides strong support for the lunar program in three aspects. First, a team of experienced astronauts has been trained. Second, key technologies for the moon landing have already been developed and tested on the station. For example, aboard the recently launched Tianzhou-10 is an experimental model studying the behavior of liquids under microgravity. This is to verify the technical specifications for future lunar spacecraft.

The development of key flight models — the Long March-10 rocket, the Mengzhou spacecraft and the Lanyue lunar lander — is progressing smoothly. The new transportation system, including the Long March-10A rocket and a cargo version of Mengzhou, is undergoing comprehensive testing.

Zhang stressed: “Through tests during numerous flights to the station over the next two years, we will comprehensively improve technical maturity and mission reliability, laying a solid foundation for China’s first manned moon landing. The long-term operation of the station will also allow us to create more large platforms in space to support future lunar exploration and deep space missions.”

China is not just building a station. It is building a launchpad. Shenzhou-23 is not just another launch. It is the 40th step on a staircase leading to the moon. Microgravity, fluid behavior, key technologies — these are not laboratory terms. They are the building blocks for a spacecraft that, in five years, should deliver taikonauts to the lunar surface. The question is not whether China will reach the moon. It will. The question is what it will build there. And how soon the next step will be to Mars. The Tiangong space station is not the final stop. It is a transfer hub. And tickets are already on sale.