China will launch giant, reusable rockets next year to prep for human missions to the moon
China plans to launch two reusable rockets in 2025 and 2026 in preparation for future crewed missions to the moon. The upcoming launches are part of a new lunar program introduced by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC), the main contractor for the Chinese space program, that will be "key" to China's goal of sending astronauts to the moon by 2030, SpaceNews reported. Unlike rockets that China has used in the past, this pair will be completely reusable. This means they will be not only more sustainable but also more cost-effective, since they won't have to be built from scratch for future missions. The rockets, which CASC did not refer to by name, include a 13-foot (4-meter) diameter rocket and 16-foot (5 m) diameter rocket. The larger rocket may be a variant of the planned Long March 10, a 302-foot-long (92 m) launch vehicle that has the capacity to send 27 tons into translunar orbit, SpaceNews speculated. Long March 10 will al...