China says its lunar lander passed Luna-landing and take-off tests

China’s Manned Space Engineering Network says the country’s first crewed lunar lander last week completed a comprehensive landing and takeoff verification test, bringing it closer to landing on Luna - and leaving it again afterwards. The space agency last week announced the Lanyue lunar lander successfully completed lengthy …

[A Non e-mouse]

The USA plans its return to the Moon in mid-2027

...but doesn't stand a chance of achieving that aim.

[KittenHuffer]

Trump is going to issue an Executive Order that henceforth each year will become a single month. Therefore he will be able to stay in power for 12 times as long!

Though I still don't think the SLS would be ready by 2027!

----------> Mine's the one sewn up by the Playtex ladies!

[Ian Johnston]

"Luna"? Oh, I see. It's the moon to the sort of sci-fi fans who think "ebon" sounds better than "black".

[Anonymous Coward]

It's also the name of our moon. Much like the sun is also known as Sol.

[Stevie]

It's the moon to the sort of sci-fi fans

And to NASA, back in the 60's when they were naming the bit of Apollo that would actually go down to the surface.

[Jim Mitchell]

Lunar Taikonauts will come to love the smell of UDMH, it appears. (Icon is for SpaceX, closest I could find.)

[Stevie]

Bah!

Well spotted.

Koffkoffkoff.

[Stevie]

Bah!

The lander appears to be leaking hypergolic go-juice.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Bah!

Oh, I thought that was meant as a jibe to Trump "THIS is the only Orange that will land on Luna"

[Gene Cash]

Actual testing?? WOT!

iSpace & Intuitive Machines laugh at your actual physical testing!!

I wonder how many attempts will happen for them, and how much more money they will have spent over one set of tests like this.

And yes, this is sort of the exact same tests NASA did with the Apollo hardware. Originally they were going to land on land instead of the ocean, and a smashed up boilerplate (now on the USS Intrepid museum) convinced them otherwise.

[Anonymous Coward]

what's next for them

how about setting up another nuclear reactor and we should stay a while while we are here and let's pass the time by chipping away and get some of these rare earths while we're here. Oh look, it's the yanks , they're doing the same and see in the distance , is it the indians or could it be the russians ? People on earth , hmm the moon isn't as round as it used to be ?