The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Saturday the names of new vehicles for future manned lunar exploration missions.
The new manned spacecraft is named Mengzhou, meaning “dream ship,” reflecting that manned lunar exploration makes the Chinese people's space dream come true and ushers in a new journey in space adventure, the CMSA said.
The lunar lander is called Lanyue, which means “kissing the moon,” a term that appears in a poem by the late Chairman Mao Zedong. The word symbolizes the Chinese people's confidence in exploring the universe, the agency said.
The names were selected from nearly 2,000 suggestions solicited from the public.
China plans to land its taikonauts on the moon before 2030 to conduct scientific exploration. It is planned to launch two launch vehicles to each send a manned spacecraft and a lunar lander into lunar orbit. The spacecraft and lunar lander will come together and dock with each other, after which the taikonauts will enter the lander.
So far, the research and development of Mengzhou, Lanyue and the Long March-10 launch vehicle have gone smoothly, the CMSA said. (Photo/VCG)