China’s new manned spacecraft prototype successfully returns to Earth
Although an experimental cargo spacecraft failed on re-entry, China’s manned space program appears on schedule


Unlike China’s last manned spacecraft, called Shenzhou, the next-generation spacecraft is protected by a replaceable heat shield and will be reusable. And while Shenzhou could only ferry three people, the new spacecraft can carry up to six astronauts and be used for both space station missions in low Earth orbit and deep-space exploration. These could include manned lunar missions, but China hasn’t disclosed any upcoming plans for sending people to the Moon.
Planned upcoming manned missions include launching the space station’s core Tianhe module, followed by two experiment modules called Wentian and Mengtian. Tianhe was expected to be launched in 2020, but China’s announcements this week didn’t mention a timeline for its launch. The T-shaped space station is expected to be completed “around 2022,” when it will support international research experiments.