China revealed a model of spacecraft to send people to the Moon

The China Space Technology Institute (CAST) released images of spacecraft design for 4-6 astronauts.

China is developing a new generation spacecraft to fly people to the moon and more remote places in the space, Space reported on 2/10. This model has not been named, is expected to fly beyond the low orbit of the Earth and carry 4-6 people. It is 9m long and has a maximum takeoff volume of about 20 tons.

The new spacecraft consists of a passenger compartment (upper) and a device compartment (lower, cylindrical).(Photo: Space).

The new spacecraft consists of two main parts, a device compartment and a passenger compartment. In it, the equipment compartment provides the thrust, energy, and equipment necessary to sustain life for the crew. The passenger compartment is partially reusable.

China successfully launched a spacecraft carrying people but never beyond the Earth's orbit. In 2003, astronaut Yang Liwei flew around the Earth on the Shenzhou 5 ship, helping China become the third country to send people to space. But so far, the United States is still the only country that can send people to the Moon and back to Earth.

China currently uses the 8-ton Shenzhou ship, which can carry three astronauts into Earth's low orbit. However, Than Chau's design is not suitable for the intense radiation environment of deep space. The ship also could not bear to rush through the atmosphere at high speed to return to Earth. The latest launch of Shenzhou was in 2016.

The first test-free flight of the new model is expected to take place in the first half of 2020. The United States is also attempting to bring people back to the Moon. SpaceX, the US aerospace company, revealed a new version of the Starship spacecraft while NASA also tested the system on the Orion spacecraft.