China's manned space programme announces missions for 2026
Beijing – China is scheduled to launch two crewed missions and one cargo mission to operate its space station in 2026, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The CMSA announced that an astronaut from the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong or Macau is expected to undertake a mission to the space station as early as this year.
An astronaut from the Shenzhou-23 crew will conduct experiments whilst remaining in orbit for one year, the CMSA stated.
Currently, China’s space station is operating stably in orbit with good performance. Since entering the application and development phase, China’s manned space programme has successfully completed six crewed missions, four cargo resupply missions, and seven return missions. The programme also executed its first emergency launch in 2025.
All six astronaut crews have completed long-duration stays in orbit. A total of thirteen extravehicular activities (EVAs) or spacewalks by astronauts and several payload transfers outside the spacecraft have been conducted. Various repair missions outside the spacecraft have also been performed, and a new world record for the longest duration in a single EVA by an astronaut has been achieved.
The fourth batch selection of astronaut candidates, including payload specialists from Hong Kong and Macau, has been completed.
Development of various missions for the country’s crewed lunar exploration programme is progressing smoothly, with breakthroughs being achieved in stages.
China is targeting a crewed Moon landing in 2030. Development of major space vehicles, including the Long March-10 launch rocket, the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft, and the Lanyue lunar lander, is proceeding smoothly. Several critical tests have been completed, including abort tests at zero altitude for Mengzhou, landing and takeoff tests for Lanyue, static fire tests and low-altitude demonstration and validation trials for the Long March-10 rocket system, and escape tests at maximum dynamic pressure for Mengzhou.
In 2026, China will intensify efforts to advance the construction of facilities and equipment supporting the lunar mission at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, southern China, as well as development of ground support systems.
Since its establishment and implementation, China’s manned space programme has consistently upheld the principle of peaceful use, equality, mutual benefit, and common development, and has actively promoted cooperation and exchange in the field of manned spaceflight.
In 2025, China and Pakistan signed an agreement regarding the selection and training of astronauts. The selection process is proceeding smoothly. According to the CMSA, a Pakistani astronaut will participate in a short-duration spaceflight mission as a payload specialist to conduct scientific experiments aboard China’s space station.