China's new moon rocket could launch as soon as 2027

China is making progress on a new rocket being developed to launch astronauts to the moon. The new launch vehicle is being developed as part of China's plan to put boots on the moon before 2030. Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut in orbit, revealed recently that the new crew spacecraft will be ready as soon as 2027. The rocket is expected to have a test flight in 2027, Rong Yi, a rocket expert with the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, told Chinese state media Xinhua according to a July 21 report. That variant will be used to launch a LEO version of the new crew spacecraft to the Tiangong space station and will be the first configuration of the rocket to be tested. China recently completed a huge new test stand at Tongchuan for test firing new engines needed to power its moon rockets. Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!