China conducted its first test on Wednesday (Aug 6) of a lunar lander that it hopes will put the first Chinese on the moon before 2030, the country's manned space programme said. The lander's ascent and descent systems underwent comprehensive verification at a site in Hebei province that was designed to simulate the moon's surface. The test surface had special coating to mimic lunar soil reflectivity, as well as being covered with rocks and craters. "The test involved multiple operational