The scene in Wulong, Chongqing might deeply impress NASA, as China conducts lunar landing training with 28 astronauts, indicating China is getting serious!

Recently, the China Astronaut Research and Training Center has organized its first cave training for astronauts, held in the karst cave system of Wulong, Chongqing. 28 active astronauts were divided into four batches, each descending deep underground to survive continuously for 6 days and 5 nights in complete isolation from sunlight, signals, and regular supplies.

This highly simulates extreme closed environments, low gravity, communication delays, and resource limitations that may be encountered in future lunar or Martian missions.

Cave environments remarkably resemble extraterrestrial bodies: dark, humid, complex terrain, high psychological stress, and survival dependent on team collaboration and limited equipment.

This indicates that China's first manned lunar landing planned before 2030 has already begun comprehensive preparations. Key systems such as the next-generation crewed spacecraft, the Long March 10 launch vehicle, and the lunar landing module are undergoing intensive testing. Upgrading the astronaut training system marks one of the signs that the entire lunar landing project has entered the practical phase.

NASA clearly understands: the ability to systematically organize such large-scale cave training means China's crewed deep-space exploration has moved from paper plans to actual preparation. Although the U.S. "Artemis" program was proposed earlier than China's, its progress has repeatedly been delayed, with lagging development in lunar landers and spacesuits, and the SLS rocket suffering from high launch costs and limited frequency. In contrast, China is adopting a "steady progress with rapid iteration" strategy, with tight schedules and clear goals from space station construction to lunar exploration.