Chang'e-7 lunar mission

[otter]

Scientists reveal blueprint of China's lunar water-ice probe mission

https://english.news.cn/20230801/beef3b77ded44b97a52d1275c1a9ad2d/c.html

BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese space scientists have revealed in a paper how the country's lunar probe Chang'e-7, supported by a hopping detector, may go about investigating the water-ice in the shadow pit near the south pole of the moon.

China plans to launch the Chang'e-6 to land on the moon in around 2024 to collect samples from the far side of the moon, before sending the Chang'e-7 probe around 2026 to implement resource exploration of the lunar south pole.

Both orbital remote sensing and in-situ detection in the permanent shadow areas of the lunar south pole are projected to be carried out in the process of probing the source, content and distribution of lunar water-ice, according to a review article published in the journal Space: Science & Technology.

The researchers from the National Space Science Center, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the China Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center of the China National Space Administration, indicated in the paper that a water molecular analyzer will be installed on a mini-flying probe to obtain water molecules in the frost layer on the moon's surface.

According to their plan, the mini-flying probe will take off in the lunar light area and fly to the permanently-shadowed bottom of an impact cater.

A drilling tool on the probe will then sample lunar soil water-ice before a mechanical arm will move it into a heating furnace for spectral analysis.

The mini-flying detector can overcome the limitations faced by traditional lunar rovers, which are incapable of reaching the crater bottom, and the measurement results will reveal whether the lunar soil at the bottom of the crater contains water, ammonia and other volatile matter, according to the paper.

Also, two other scientific payloads are expected to be deployed on an orbiter to study the moon's surface water-ice, according to the paper.

Lunar water exploitation is believed to be a prerequisite for a sustained human presence on the moon and in deeper space. However, the possible source of lunar water-ice is still unclear, making the mission scientifically necessary.

According to China's lunar exploration blueprint, the Chang'e-8 will be launched around 2028 to conduct experiments on lunar resource utilization and to build the basic model of the International Lunar Research Station.

[otter]

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/cnsawatcher/status/1800380787432263879

Chang'e-7 orbiter to carry lunar material hyperspectral imager jointly developed by Egyptian and Bahraini space agencies for imaging and analysis. Egypt and Bahrain sign cooperation contract for the project. Source:m.weibo.cn/status/OitdR7Q…

[TheKutKu]

https://news.sciencenet.cn/sbhtmlnews/2025/9/386657.shtm

From Lunar Exploration to Lunar Landing: Only by Dare to Dream Can We Achieve It
—An Interview with Yu Dengyun, Chief Designer of the Lunar Exploration Project Phase IV and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

■Reporters Chen Huanhuan and Cui Xueqin

The U.S. Embassy in China recently stated on social media that it aims to send Americans back to the moon during Trump's term, winning the "Second Space Race."

Yu Dengyun, Chief Designer of the Lunar Exploration Project Phase IV and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, recently stated in an exclusive interview with China Science Daily that my country will complete the basic model of a lunar research station by 2030 and simultaneously achieve a Chinese landing on the moon. He also pointed out that the most important lesson learned from China's lunar exploration program's repeated successes over the past 20 years is to follow its own pace and pursue a uniquely Chinese approach to lunar exploration. my country has always welcomed international cooperation, and the Chang'e-7 mission, scheduled for launch in 2026, will include a payload developed in collaboration with a U.S. private organization.

As a veteran of China's lunar exploration for over 20 years, Yu Dengyun shared his perspective on the present, yesterday, and future of the lunar exploration program in an exclusive interview. He also recounted his personal experiences with Chang'e: the nervousness before each launch, receiving a mission on his birthday, and feeling "unforgiving" when Yutu (the Jade Rabbit) broke down.

"Today": Chang'e-7's challenges intensify.

China Science Daily: my country plans to establish an unmanned lunar research station and conduct manned lunar landings by 2030. What is the current progress? When will a long-term lunar presence be possible?

Yu Dengyun: Chang'e-7 is scheduled to launch in August 2026. It will primarily orbit, land, patrol, and fly over the lunar south pole, conducting high-precision exploration of the lunar surface and detecting water ice and other materials in shadowed craters. Chang'e-8 is scheduled to launch in 2028 or 2029, primarily to verify lunar resource utilization technologies. Utilizing the intelligent robots and scientific payloads carried by Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8, along with the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, scheduled for launch in 2024, a basic model of a multi-instrument, interconnected lunar research station will be constructed. If successful, this will mark another milestone in China's lunar exploration history, achieving multiple world firsts.

Yu Dengyun announces an August 2026 launch, although previous papers and announcements hinted more at a September or October launch: https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1968769322743996875

[Phil Stooke]

true... he says August... but he also says "Queqiao-2 relay satellite, scheduled for launch in 2024". That suggests an old source is being quoted and its date is not the one currently planned.

[TheKutKu]

true... he says August... but he also says "Queqiao-2 relay satellite, scheduled for launch in 2024". That suggests an old source is being quoted and its date is not the one currently planned.

Southern pole Illumination constraint mean that a landing before October is not desirable anyway, the landing will likely happen around November.

[JulesVerneATV]

Thai National Astronomical Research Institute partners with CNSA for lunar mission, submitting Chang'e-7 payload. International collaboration includes countries like Egypt, Bahrain, Italy, and Switzerland for lunar exploration.

https://x.com/CNSAWatcher/status/1979848988565381556#m