China’s human-spaceflight programme cleared a major technical hurdle after the China Manned Space Agency said it had completed a full landing-and-take-off verification test of the country’s Lanyue crewed lunar lander. The integrated trial, conducted on 6 August at an extraterrestrial landing test facility in Huailai County, Hebei Province, simulated descent, touchdown and ascent from the lunar surface. CMSA announced the outcome on Thursday, calling it the first time China has rehearsed off-Earth landing and departure manoeuvres with a spacecraft designed for astronauts. Engine firings replicated the lunar approach while sensors and guidance, navigation and control systems were evaluated alongside propulsion interfaces. Developers also assessed shutdown procedures once simulated contact was achieved. According to the agency, the lander’s four-engine configuration provides redundancy so that the vehicle can still return to orbit if a single engine fails. Built by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., Lanyue—literally “embracing the Moon”—is designed to ferry two astronauts, a rover and scientific payloads to the surface. The test helps keep Beijing’s schedule on track for its first crewed lunar mission before 2030, when the Lanyue lander is expected to rendezvous in lunar orbit with the Mengzhou crew capsule ahead of descent to the Moon.