China sends youngest astronaut into space in attempt to land humans on the Moon

China said today that it is on track to land on the Moon by 2030, as it unveiled the next team that will head to its space station, as part of the country’s plans to become a leader in space exploration.

“Currently, every research and development program to land a human being on the Moon is progressing smoothly,” said China’s Manned Space Program spokesman Zhang Jingbo, citing the Long March 10 rocket, lunar suits and rover as examples of successful efforts in this direction. “Our goal of landing a human on the Moon by 2030 remains unchanged.”

The team will be led by space pilot Zhang Lu, who participated in the Shenzhou-15 mission two years ago. He will be accompanied by payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang and flight engineer Wu Fei, both on their first spaceflight. At age 32, Wu Fei will become the youngest Chinese astronaut to participate in a space mission.