Mengzhou (spacecraft)
Mengzhou spacecraft mockup displayed in 2023 | |
| Manufacturer | CAST |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | China |
| Operator | CMSA |
| Applications | Tiangong space station crew and cargo transport Crewed exploration beyond LEO |
| Specifications | |
| Spacecraft type | Crewed |
| Launch mass |
|
| Dry mass | Crew module: 5,600 kg (12,300 lb) (landing mass) |
| Payload capacity |
|
| Crew capacity |
|
| Volume | Crew module: 13 m3 (459 cu ft) |
| Power | Solar |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit, lunar Transfer Orbit, lunar orbit |
| Design life | 21 days |
| Dimensions | |
| Length |
|
| Diameter | Crew module: 4.5 metres (15 ft) |
| Production | |
| Status | Testing |
| Built | 1 |
| Launched | 1 |
| Maiden launch | LM5B-Y1 (5 May 2020) |
The Mengzhou (Chinese: 梦舟; pinyin: mèng zhōu), formerly known as the Next-Generation Crewed Spacecraft (新一代载人飞船; xīnyīdài zàirén fēichuán), is a type of reusable spacecraft developed and manufactured by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The spacecraft prototype underwent its first uncrewed test flight on 5 May 2020.
The crew carrier is designed to conduct lunar exploration in conjunction with China's future lunar descent spacecraft, the Lanyue lander, by the end of the 2020s. A low-earth orbit (LEO) version of the spacecraft intended to ferry astronauts to the Tiangong space station is also under development; this LEO version will serve as a modern replacement for the existing Shenzhou spacecraft. The new spacecraft is expected to attain crewed flight capability around 2027–2028.