China conducts successful escape test for new manned spacecraft

China successfully carried out a zero-altitude escape flight test of its new Mengzhou manned spacecraft on Tuesday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China, marking the first such test in 27 years.

The test represents a major breakthrough in the country's manned lunar exploration program, the China Manned Space Agency said in a news release on Tuesday.

At 12:30 pm, an ignition command was issued and the escape engine of the Mengzhou spacecraft fired successfully. The spacecraft and its escape tower lifted off under the propulsion of solid-fuel engines.

Roughly 20 seconds later, the combination reached the predetermined altitude, and the return capsule separated from the escape tower. The parachute deployed smoothly, and at 12:32 pm, the capsule landed safely in the designated test area, cushioned by an airbag system, the agency said.

China's last such test was in 1998 for the Shenzhou manned spacecraft.

The Mengzhou spacecraft is a new generation of manned space vehicles independently developed for future space missions. Unlike the Shenzhou system — in which the rocket was responsible for escape and the spacecraft for rescue — Mengzhou handles both tasks as a fully integrated system, according to the agency.

Tuesday's test evaluated the performance of escape and rescue subsystems, verified the escape sequence and separation mechanisms, and gathered real-flight data on escape trajectories through closed-loop control systems.

Escape and rescue capabilities are critical safety measures in manned spaceflight, allowing astronauts to be pulled away from danger and returned to Earth in the event of an emergency during launch.

Mengzhou is designed to carry up to seven astronauts and meets advanced international standards, the agency said.