China has completed the inaugural test flight of its next-generation Mengzhou crewed spacecraft, executing a critical zero-altitude escape trial at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert.The successful test hints at differences in the plans of China and the United States to “return to the moon”.Developed for China’s 2030 lunar ambitions, the modular Mengzhou spacecraft features two variants: a near-Earth version supporting space station operations with a seven-astronaut...