Published: 19:34, September 12, 2025
China tests moon-mission rocket
By Zhao Lei
This photo taken on Aug 15, 2025 shows the static fire test of China's Long March 10 carrier rocket at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in South China's Hainan province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

A second ignition test was made on China's next-generation heavy-lift carrier rocket on Friday afternoon as part of efforts to get Chinese astronauts to the moon.

During the propulsion system test that started at 3 pm at the Wenchang Space Launch Center, a coastal spaceport in Hainan province, seven powerful engines, packed inside a prototype of the Long March 10 rocket, were ignited and then burned for about 320 seconds, completing several tasks and generating a great deal of data, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The agency said in a statement that the test was intended to check the comprehensive performance of the engines in low-thrust status and re-ignition processes.

READ MORE: China unveils further details of future manned lunar mission

The first such test took place on Aug 15, with the engines generating a massive combined thrust of nearly 1,000 metric tons, setting a new domestic record for the most powerful engine ignition test.

Developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the Long March 10 is a brand-new type of launch vehicle and will be tasked with launching the country's new-generation crewed spacecraft and the lunar landing module.

READ MORE: China launches new satellite for Earth-Moon communications

The rocket is expected to be ready for its maiden flight around 2027.

The moon-mission rocket will consist of a core booster and several side boosters. It will be 92.5 meters tall, roughly the height of a 32-story residential building, and five meters wide. The gigantic vehicle will have a liftoff weight of 2,189 metric tons and a thrust of 2,678 tons.

It will be capable of transporting spacecraft weighing at least 27 tons to an Earth-moon transfer trajectory, according to designers.