NASA postpones crewed Moon landing to 2028 and alters test mission plans

China has disclosed new details regarding its scheme to execute a crewed mission to the Moon before 2030. This plan involves launching two rockets, meeting two spacecraft in lunar orbit, and sending a team of three astronauts. Of this group, two individuals will descend to the surface of the natural satellite to conduct scientific investigations.

The planning details were presented by Wang Xiang, who serves as the deputy chief designer of the Chinese crewed space program and is responsible for the lunar exploration project. This presentation took place during the 7th Symposium on Crewed Spaceflights, held in Beijing, China, from October 31 to November 1, 2026.

The mission structure calls for the use of two Long March 10 rockets. One of these rockets will be responsible for transporting the crewed spacecraft Mengzhou, while the second will carry the lunar landing module named Lanyue. After both reach lunar orbit, the vehicles must meet and dock. Subsequently, the astronauts will transfer from Mengzhou to Lanyue, which will perform the landing on the lunar surface.

The decision to use two separate launches is linked to the capabilities of Chinese rockets. Instead of concentrating all mission elements into a single vehicle, the country opted to send the crewed spacecraft and the landing module separately. This approach is called lunar orbit rendezvous, requiring an approach and docking maneuver after the equipment arrives around the Moon.

Once the docking operation is complete, two of the three crew members will enter the Lanyue module to begin the descent. The third astronaut will remain in Mengzhou, which will serve as the support vehicle and for the return to Earth. This configuration resembles the architecture used by NASA's Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s, when the lunar module also separated from the main spacecraft to go to the surface and return to orbit for rendezvous.

Three pieces of equipment are crucial for China's attempt to reach the Moon. The name Lanyue means something close to 'embracing the Moon,' and the design of this module was introduced in 2023, officially receiving this name the following year.

Wang Xiang clarified that the crewed mission will not occur without a series of prior checks, following a gradual progression: first, validating the equipment in near-Earth flights, and only then proceeding to operations in the lunar environment. The established timeline covers several phases, although these dates are merely a disclosed plan and not guarantees of execution.

Some preparations have already been made by China, including emergency escape tests of the Mengzhou spacecraft, simulations of the Lanyue module's landing and takeoff, and a low-altitude test of the Long March 10 rocket. Furthermore, the strategy includes using the Tiangong space station, located in low Earth orbit, to test procedures and technologies before they are sent to the Moon.

This plan positions China in a technological and strategic competition with the United States, which is also seeking to return astronauts to the lunar surface. While the Chinese goal is to reach the satellite before 2030, NASA uses a distinct architecture based on the Orion spacecraft and landing modules developed by private companies.

The rivalry goes beyond merely replicating the Apollo missions; both countries have plans to establish a more sustainable human presence in the lunar region. Within the Chinese scope, the long-term project includes building the Lunar International Research Station, an initiative that envisions collaboration with international partners. The construction of this station is planned to begin in 2031, utilizing the heavy-lift Long March 9 rocket in the future.

Currently, the priority is proving the integrated functionality of all components of the crewed mission. Among the most complex stages of the project are the spacecraft rendezvous, the lunar module descent, and the astronauts' return to orbit.

NASA has formally ended the mission of the Swift space telescope after a rescue attempt was unsuccessful. This observatory, which dedicated more than two decades to studying the Universe, is in the process of losing altitude and is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in the coming weeks.

The rescue operation was conducted by Katalyst Space Technologies, a company based in Arizona, United States. This company developed the spacecraft named LINK with the purpose of reaching the telescope and elevating it to a higher orbit, enabling the continuation of its scientific investigations.

However, the initiative was not successful. Approximately three weeks after its launch, on July 3rd, the LINK spacecraft encountered problems with its propulsion system and the reaction wheels responsible for maintaining its orientation. These failures caused the spacecraft to spin at an unexpected speed, which made capturing and elevating Swift impossible.

Despite the setbacks, LINK managed to approach the observatory and take photographs of it. The separation between the two spacecraft varied between 12 and 15 kilometers, which proved insufficient to complete the planned operation.

Swift was losing altitude due to atmospheric drag and does not have adequate thrusters to neutralize this effect. In September 2025, NASA awarded Katalyst a contract worth US$ 30 million (equivalent to about R$ 162 million) to attempt to save the observatory.

The adopted strategy involved a spacecraft comparable in size to a refrigerator, equipped with three robotic arms. The concept was for LINK to reach Swift, capture it, and guide it to a higher orbit. This mission was pioneering, as no private spacecraft had managed to capture and elevate a satellite that was not designed to receive such maintenance. Speed was also crucial, given that Swift continued to lose altitude while the operation preparation proceeded.

Although the attempt failed to extend the telescope's lifespan, NASA considered the project valuable for fostering the development of robotic maintenance technologies in space and for testing the capacity to execute operations of this magnitude in short periods.

Swift was officially named the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory in 2018, in memory of its first principal investigator, who passed away the previous year. With the end of the mission, the observatory will return to Earth's atmosphere in the coming weeks, but the collected data will remain accessible for future scientific research.

NASA confirmed this Friday (23rd) its commitment to returning astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028, detailing the subsequent stages of the Artemis program. During a press conference held at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, agency administrator Jared Isaacman also made provocative comments about the space history of the two countries, the US and China.

The presentation, titled Artemis Acceleration, focused on preparations for the Artemis 3 mission, scheduled for 2027, and the efforts required to achieve Artemis 4, which is expected to bring crew members back to the lunar surface. NASA expressed its intention to accelerate work to ensure compliance with this return-to-the-Moon timeline.

Isaacman commented that China achieved its equivalent of the 'John Glenn moment,' meaning its first crewed orbital spaceflight, only 23 years ago, referring to 2003. In contrast, he pointed out that the United States had already won the first space race, conducting six crewed landings on the Moon and completing 113 missions with the Space Shuttle before the first Chinese crewed flight.

Despite this, Isaacman acknowledged the significant advancement of the Chinese space program since then, mentioning that it now encompasses hundreds of satellites intended for communication, Earth observation, and military purposes.

This statement comes amid the competition between Washington and Beijing for supremacy in lunar exploration. While China plans to conduct its own crewed lunar landing by 2030, the United States aims to return to the lunar surface before that deadline.

The goal of sending people back to the Moon is linked to Artemis 4, planned for 2028. This mission will use the SLS rocket and the Orion capsule to transport the crew to the lunar area, where the transition to a commercial lander will occur. The selection of the landing system will depend on the development of the lunar modules and the results obtained during Artemis 3. Companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing their own solutions for transport between lunar orbit and the surface.

If the schedule is met, Artemis 4 will represent the return of humans to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission, which took place in December 1972. The Artemis program integrates the United States' plans to expand its presence on the Moon and prepare for future crewed missions to Mars. Furthermore, NASA aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon through progressively more complex missions.