China Conducts Mengzhou In-Flight Abort Test + Long March 10 First Powered Flight — Four Firsts in One Mission
91 FOMOOn February 11, 2026, China successfully conducted a combined maximum dynamic pressure abort test of the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft and the first powered flight of the Long March 10A rocket from Wenchang Space Launch Site, Hainan. The Mengzhou capsule abort system executed clean separation from the LM-10 first stage at ~11km altitude at maximum dynamic pressure. Four historic firsts: first ignition of LM-10 in prototype configuration; first maximum dynamic pressure abort test of a Chinese crewed spacecraft; first maritime splashdown of both a Chinese crewed capsule and rocket first stage; first use of the new Wenchang lunar mission launch pad. The LM-10 first stage recovered at sea after a controlled splashdown — demonstrating first-stage reuse capabilities. Recovery crews retrieved the capsule 80 minutes after liftoff.
Why it matters
This is China's Falcon 9 moment for lunar architecture. Long March 10 is the vehicle that will land taikonauts on the Moon by 2030, and its first stage reuse demonstration — in the same flight as an abort test — compresses the development timeline dramatically. If LM-10 achieves operational reusability before Starship HLS is certified, China will have a credible path to reaching the lunar surface before NASA's 2028 Artemis III target.
Details
Mission
- Vehicle
- Long March 10A
- Crew
- humanoid dummieslunar spacesuits
- Launch site
- Launch Complex 301, Wenchang Space Launch Site, Hainan
Coverage
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space.com ·
China aces test of next-gen lunar capsule and rocket — Mengzhou in-flight abort, LM-10 first stage splashdownSpace.com analysis: the LM-10 first stage's powered vertical splashdown at sea is directly analogous to Falcon 9 first stage ocean recovery. China combining a safety system test with first-stage recovery in a single flight represents a compressed development timeline. Mengzhou has now completed both zero-altitude and maximum dynamic pressure abort tests. Uncrewed demonstration mission to Tiangong Space Station expected later in 2026.
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globaltimes.cn ·
China successfully completes low-altitude Long March-10 test, marking major breakthrough in manned lunar explorationGlobal Times reports from Wenchang. Four technical firsts confirmed: first LM-10 prototype ignition, first maximum dynamic pressure abort test in Chinese space history, first maritime splashdown of both crewed capsule and rocket first stage, first use of the new Wenchang lunar launch pad. LM-10 adopts "three-and-a-half-stage" configuration, 90m tall, 2,700 tons liftoff thrust — China's largest vehicle and only one capable of translunar crewed missions.
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Veenie.Space Telemetry
On February 11, 2026, China successfully conducted a combined maximum dynamic pressure abort test of