China plans to send its first reusable spacecraft into space within the next five years. The spacecraft is comparable to the latest generation of US ships such as the SpaceX Dragon V2, the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post reported.
The Chinese spacecraft, which has not yet been named, is said to be larger and about twice as heavy as the Dragon V2. It will be able to carry up to seven astronauts and will be launched between 2027 and 2028, Chinese state newspaper Guangzhou Daily quoted deputy chief engineer of the Chinese space program Yang Liwei as saying on Monday. Accordingly, the spacecraft should also be used in the planned manned moon landing by the Chinese. China wants to send astronauts to the moon by 2030.
