China announced a major breakthrough in its planned moon landing mission as the East Asian power and the United States race to send humans back to Earth’s natural satellite.

China is moving toward its goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030. Meanwhile, the U.S.—the first and, to date, only country to land humans on the moon—has planned its crewed moon landing mission for mid-2027. However, the program’s progress has faced challenges.

Newsweek has contacted NASA via email for updates on its moon landing mission.

Why It Matters

During the height of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, NASA launched the Apollo program, which landed the first humans on the moon in 1969. A total of six lunar landing missions—with 12 astronauts—were conducted until the program ended in 1972.

China is advancing several space programs as it pushes for supremacy in this domain. In addition to its moon landing mission, it has constructed a network of 16 space-enabling facilities in Latin America while operating a modern space station known as the Tiangong.

The space race between China and the U.S. could define whether the 21st century is the Chinese or American century, Colonel Terry Virts, a former NASA astronaut, previously told Newsweek, warning that China could absolutely beat the U.S. back to the moon.

What To Know

The China Manned Space Agency announced that its manned lunar lander—named Lanyue, which means embracing the moon—successfully completed the first “comprehensive landing and takeoff test” at a test site in Huailai County in Hebei province, northern China, on Wednesday.

Footage of the test shows the lander—a test vehicle—igniting its rocket engines while descending to the ground. Meanwhile, a ladderlike structure can be seen installed on the outside of the lander, which could be used by astronauts to exit onto the moon’s surface.

The event marked the first time China tested the “extraterrestrial landing and takeoff capabilities” of a manned spacecraft, according to the agency, which described the test as a breakthrough in the research and development of its manned lunar exploration program.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the Lanyue consists of two modules—one for landing and the other for propulsion. It is designed to transport two astronauts between the moon’s orbit and its surface. The lander serves as a base during astronauts’ activities on the moon.

The design of Lanyue is similar to that used in the Apollo program. The Apollo Lunar Module consisted of an upper stage—which contained a crew compartment and an ascent rocket engine—and a lower stage that had the landing gear and a rocket engine for descent.

China is also advancing another moon mission aimed at building the International Lunar Research Station, a scientific experimental facility located both on the moon’s surface and in its orbit. The project’s two phases are scheduled for completion by 2035 and 2050, respectively.

What People Are Saying

China’s Global Times reported on Thursday: “The test validated key systems, including the lander’s design, control strategies, lunar contact shutdown procedures, and interface compatibility between subsystems such as GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) and propulsion.”

U.S. Transportation Secretary and interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy outlined a plan to build a nuclear reactor on the moon on Tuesday: “We’re in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon. And to have a base on the moon, we need energy.”

What Happens Next

Besides the moon landing mission, U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to send astronauts to Mars, a goal supported by billionaire Elon Musk of SpaceX, who believes the moon “is a distraction.”