Technology 8/19: China is about to surpass the US in the race to return to the Moon

China is getting closer to its goal of sending people to the moon before 2030

In August 2025, China’s somewhat secretive space program made significant progress. The China Manned Space Agency successfully tested a 26-ton “Lanyue” lander model, which simulates landing and takeoff on the lunar surface using a suspension system and navigation engines.

On August 15, China conducted a static core burn test of the Long March 10 rocket with seven YF-100K engines. The main version of this rocket will be able to send 70 tons to low Earth orbit, playing a key role in lunar missions.

China's Long March-10 rocket conducts its first static firing test at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on August 15, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)

China has made significant progress on all three key elements: the powerful rocket, the Mengzhou spacecraft (which has tested its escape system), and the Lanyue lander module. This suggests they are on track to land a man on the Moon by 2030.

The landing sites chosen, such as the lunar south pole, indicate that China intends to build a permanent base. It is also developing its own lunar navigation and communications network, similar to the BeiDou system on Earth.

Meanwhile, NASA’s Artemis program has been plagued by problems, especially with SpaceX’s Starship. While the US is looking at technologies for reusing and storing fuel in space, these solutions are not yet ready for deployment.

Anti-social media addiction app suddenly becomes a hit on the App Store

Despite only being released in beta last month, Focus Friend has quickly climbed to #4 in the free app rankings and #2 in the productivity app category on the App Store.

This is a productivity app developed by Hank Green and Honey B Games. The idea is cute: You have a “bean friend” who is trying to knit, and you have to help it stay focused by not opening distracting apps like TikTok or Instagram.

Focus Friend app interface. (Source: App Store)

Users set a timer to focus, and the app blocks distracting apps. If you complete your focus session, your “bean” rewards you with virtual socks, which can be used to buy decorations for the bean’s room — like cute posters or furniture.

Focus Friend is being compared to Finch — a self-care app featuring a virtual bird. Both tap into users’ emotions by bonding with a cute character, making you want to take care of it by doing nice things for yourself.

Allianz Life suffers data breach, affecting more than 1.1 million customers

Allianz Life Insurance (USA) confirmed that it was hacked in July 2025, exposing the personal information of most of its 1.4 million customers and employees. According to Have I Been Pwned, the stolen data included names, genders, dates of birth, emails, home addresses, and phone numbers — all stored on the Salesforce platform.

An Allianz office building. (Source: Getty Images)

In addition, Allianz also notified the states of Texas and Massachusetts that customers' Social Security numbers were also compromised.

The attack is believed to have been carried out by the ShinyHunters hacker group, which is known for its phishing tactics to gain access to systems. The group has also attacked Google, Cisco, Qantas and Pandora.

Minh Hoan

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/cong-nghe-19-8-trung-quoc-sap-vuot-mat-my-trong-cuoc-dua-tro-lai-mat-trang-ar960517.html