2026 may be the year in which China’s aerospace industry has the most dispersed mission types but the most consistent goals in the past ten years. It seems that the multi-line propulsion of the moon, rockets, constellations, and space stations points to the same thing:
China Aerospace is completing the transformation from “mission-driven” to “system operation”.
Below are what we think are the eight most anticipated missions for China’s aerospace industry in 2026.
1
The South Pole of the Moon, from arrival to utilization
Chang’e 7 mission
If Chang’e-5 solves “Can the lunar soil be brought back?”, then Chang’e-7 solves a more fundamental question: Is the moon suitable for long-term human existence?
In 2026, Chang’e-7 will head to the Moon’s South Pole – an area that is considered to potentially contain water ice resources and is closest to the location of future lunar scientific research stations. The mission will carry out environmental and resource exploration of the lunar south pole, obtain remote sensing and in-position scientific data of the entire moon, landing area and inspection area, and lay the foundation for the subsequent construction of lunar scientific research stations.
This is not a single-point exploration, but a preliminary survey mission for the lunar scientific research station. If successful, it means that China has the ability to explore the moon globally.
2
Countdown to the manned moon landing project
Long March 10 series rocket makes first flight
The significance of the Long March 10 is not that it is “bigger”, but that it is China’s first rocket designed for manned landing on the moon.
In 2026, the Long March 10 series of rockets will successively make their first flights. Among them, the Long March 10 will be responsible for the launch of the Mengzhou Y manned spacecraft and the moon lunar lander in the manned lunar landing mission; the Long March 10A will be responsible for the transportation mission of the Mengzhou 1 spacecraft and the space station.
This marks that China’s manned lunar landing project has officially entered the “engineering verification stage” from the “plan stage”. This time, China is not catching up, but building its own moon landing system.
3
China’s manned spacecraft comprehensively replaced
Mengzhou-1 first flight verification
The Mengzhou-1 manned spacecraft is the next generation of China’s manned spaceflight. It will be launched aboard the Long March 10A for the first time, docking with the space station and verifying the entire new generation manned transportation system.
What Mengzhou 1 will verify is not just the spacecraft itself, but the entire set of synergistic capabilities of the new rocket + new spacecraft + new launch process.
4
China’s space station enters “long-term residency era”
Four missions in 2026
The space station will see frequent operations in 2026, including four missions including Tianzhou 10, Shenzhou 23, Shenzhou 24, and Mengzhou 1. An astronaut will start a long-term residence experiment of more than one year. This is a key test for China’s space system to verify long-term on-orbit life, scientific research and maintenance.
This type of long-term residency test is essentially answering a question: whether China already has the ability to treat low-Earth orbit as a “normal working environment.”
5
Chinese rockets collectively rush towards “recyclable”
12 types of rocket intensive sprint recovery
2026 is likely to be the real watershed for China’s recyclable rockets. Not one company, but more than ten models, rushed to the first-level recycling successfully at the same time. Including: Zhuque 3 and Long March 12A continue to sprint for recovery; Long March 12B, Pallas 1, Hyperbola 3, Long March 10A/B, Nebula 1, Gravity 2, Yuanxingzhe 1, Tianlong 3, Lijian 2 and other new models make their first flights; at the same time, the recyclable configurations of Tianlong 3 and Lijian 2 will also be attempted in the second half of the year.
The important thing is not which type of rocket is successful, but: in 2026, almost all mainstream rocket routes will undergo at least one recovery verification.
6
Intergenerational switching of national low-orbit communication constellations
State Grid GW constellation second-generation satellite network launched
The second-generation satellite of the State Grid GW constellation is expected to be launched in 2026. It has an upgraded technical architecture and higher service capabilities. It is a truly commercial satellite Internet constellation “target satellite”.
The real change of the second-generation satellite is not just the technical indicators, but the role: from “verification constellation” to “long-term operation of national-level communication infrastructure.”
7
Remote sensing enters the 0.2-meter era
Jilin-1 Gaofen 05 constellation deployment
In 2026, Jilin-1 will launch the deployment of the Gaofen 05 constellation, directly benchmarking the world’s highest level.
In the field of commercial remote sensing, 0.2 meters is close to the engineering limit of optical imaging, and the focus of competition will shift from “resolution” to “revisit frequency, timeliness and data service capabilities.”
8
“Chinese version of Starlink” enters the stage of scaling up
Qianfan Constellation fully accelerates networking
In 2026, Qianfan Constellation plans to launch approximately 540 satellites throughout the year, achieving a scale of 648 satellites in orbit by the end of the year.
This is a true “scale delivery test”. This is no longer a question of “whether there are stars or not”, but whether manufacturing, launch, operation control, and on-orbit management can form an industrial rhythm.
In addition, some important space missions are still in the uncertain stage of time windows or engineering rhythms. For example, the survey space telescope is scheduled to be launched at the end of 2026, and the Tianwen-2 asteroid detection mission is expected to arrive at near-Earth asteroids in 2026 and conduct sampling. Since its key nodes have not yet been fully locked, this article has not included it in this year’s key outlook.
Conclusion
In 2026, China’s aerospace industry will no longer just complete a certain key mission, but will also verify “whether the system can operate for a long time” at multiple orbital levels and multiple mission types.
If I had to sum it up in one sentence:
This is the year that China Aerospace has moved from “getting things done” to “keeping the system running stably”.
