China's Lunar Astronaut Landing Site Revealed: A 'Geological Museum' on the Moon
China is intensifying its ambition to land astronauts on the Moon before the end of this decade. A recent study published in the journal Nature Astronomy on 9 March 2026 has revealed that the Rimae Bode region has become the primary candidate for this historic landing site.
The area, located on the near side of the Moon, was selected because it offers a rare combination of technical safety and exceptionally high scientific value. A researcher from China University of Geosciences, Professor Jun Huang, described the region as a “geological museum” that holds secrets of the past of Earth’s natural satellite.
From 106 initial candidates, Rimae Bode was selected among the final 14 because it meets strict technical requirements. Its location on a volcanic plain near the Moon’s equator ensures stable sunlight exposure for power supply and facilitates direct communication with Earth.
Beyond mere landing safety, Rimae Bode is a “treasure trove” for researchers. The area has diverse topography, ranging from ancient lava flows, lava channels (rilles), to material remaining from crater impacts.
“This region offers diverse views of volcanic plains and ancient highlands, enabling astronauts to collect samples ranging from volcanic ash that erupted from within the Moon to massive ancient impact debris in a single explorable area,” Huang told Space.com.
One of the most interesting findings expected from this location is a deposit of dark mantle material consisting of volcanic ash and glass beads. This material erupted from deep within the Moon billions of years ago.
“These samples act as ‘messengers’ from the Moon’s mantle, offering a rare opportunity to directly analyse the chemical composition of the Moon’s deepest heart, information that is usually hidden beneath mile-thick crust,” Huang added.
Research into this material is believed to be capable of reconstructing the Moon’s volcanic history, helping scientists understand how the Moon cooled, as well as providing insights into the evolution of other rocky planets, including Earth.
The mission will include an unpressurised rover vehicle to assist astronaut mobility. Therefore, selected crew members will undergo intensive geological training. China recently completed analogue training in a cave environment as a simulation of the future mission.
Huang emphasised that astronauts must be able to distinguish ordinary rocks from “scientific gold”, such as small volcanic glass grains that carry clues about the Moon’s deep interior.
Although the final site selection is still ongoing, China continues to refine its infrastructure. The latest generation spacecraft, Mengzhou, is scheduled to conduct its first full orbital flight at the end of this year using the Long March 10A rocket.