<p>China's next-generation crewed spacecraft, which can transport up to seven astronauts, may fly for the first time between 2027 and 2028, a veteran Chinese astronaut said.</p>.<p>China's manned space flights began in 2003 when former fighter pilot, Yang Liwei, was sent into orbit in a small bronze-coloured capsule, the Shenzhou-5, becoming China's first man in space and an instant hero cheered by millions at home.</p>.<p>"In the future, a new generation of spacecraft will be used on crewed lunar missions, to build our space station, and for deep-space exploration," the state-run Guangzhou Daily cited Yang as saying at a Chinese university on Monday.</p>.<p>Recent tests on the return capsule of the next-generation spacecraft have been "very successful", with their first flights estimated to take place between 2027 and 2028, said Yang, currently deputy chief designer of China's manned spaceflight project.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/video/national/chandrayaan-3-launch-what-is-unique-about-indias-third-moon-mission-1237025.html">Chandrayaan-3 launch | What is unique about India's third moon mission?</a></strong></p>.<p>The next-generation spacecraft was first tested in 2020.</p>.<p>Since China's space station became operational late last year, the focus has returned to a project to send astronauts to the moon by 2030, with engineers recently disclosing more details of the plan - from the type of carrier rockets to be used to the spacecraft transporting astronauts and other equipment.</p>.<p>China's current Shenzhou spacecraft, based on Russia's Soyuz, can transport up to three astronauts to low-Earth orbit. It consists of a life-support and propulsion module, an in-orbit module for short-term human habitation, and a re-entry capsule for their return to earth.</p>.<p>The new generation of crewed spacecraft will comprise just two parts - the propulsion and the return modules - to allow for bigger modules and larger carrying capacity of up to seven people, Zhang Bainan, chief designer of the trial version of the new-generation spacecraft, said in 2020.</p>.<p>The return module's high heat resistance also allows much of it to be re-used.</p>
<p>China's next-generation crewed spacecraft, which can transport up to seven astronauts, may fly for the first time between 2027 and 2028, a veteran Chinese astronaut said.</p>.<p>China's manned space flights began in 2003 when former fighter pilot, Yang Liwei, was sent into orbit in a small bronze-coloured capsule, the Shenzhou-5, becoming China's first man in space and an instant hero cheered by millions at home.</p>.<p>"In the future, a new generation of spacecraft will be used on crewed lunar missions, to build our space station, and for deep-space exploration," the state-run Guangzhou Daily cited Yang as saying at a Chinese university on Monday.</p>.<p>Recent tests on the return capsule of the next-generation spacecraft have been "very successful", with their first flights estimated to take place between 2027 and 2028, said Yang, currently deputy chief designer of China's manned spaceflight project.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/video/national/chandrayaan-3-launch-what-is-unique-about-indias-third-moon-mission-1237025.html">Chandrayaan-3 launch | What is unique about India's third moon mission?</a></strong></p>.<p>The next-generation spacecraft was first tested in 2020.</p>.<p>Since China's space station became operational late last year, the focus has returned to a project to send astronauts to the moon by 2030, with engineers recently disclosing more details of the plan - from the type of carrier rockets to be used to the spacecraft transporting astronauts and other equipment.</p>.<p>China's current Shenzhou spacecraft, based on Russia's Soyuz, can transport up to three astronauts to low-Earth orbit. It consists of a life-support and propulsion module, an in-orbit module for short-term human habitation, and a re-entry capsule for their return to earth.</p>.<p>The new generation of crewed spacecraft will comprise just two parts - the propulsion and the return modules - to allow for bigger modules and larger carrying capacity of up to seven people, Zhang Bainan, chief designer of the trial version of the new-generation spacecraft, said in 2020.</p>.<p>The return module's high heat resistance also allows much of it to be re-used.</p>