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China's Chang'e 7 moon probe will launch this weekend on the most ambitious lunar mission in history
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China's Chang'e 7 lunar probe is set for launch this weekend, marking the start of what experts describe as the most ambitious robotic moon mission ever attempted. The spacecraft, which includes an orbiter, lander, rover, and hopper, will lift off on August 24 atop a Long March 5 Y14 rocket. Its destination is the challenging environment near Shackleton Crater at the lunar south pole, a region of intense scientific interest.
This mission is a critical stepping stone in China's broader lunar exploration program. Following its successful landing, the primary goal is to lay the technological groundwork for a planned Chinese human moon landing by 2030. The spacecraft will enter lunar orbit and spend several months conducting surveys before releasing the lander for a touchdown near the end of the year.
A key objective is the search for water ice, believed to exist in permanently shadowed craters. A unique hopper will use active shock-absorption technology to jump into these dark craters to search for these ice pockets. As Ye Peijian of the Chinese Academy of Sciences noted, no one has yet definitively evaluated this crucial resource.
The mission carries a significant international component, featuring instruments from multiple countries. These include a suite from the Russian Academy of Sciences, an Italian laser retroreflector, and a wide-field optical telescope. A camera developed by the Bahrain and Egyptian space agencies will also orbit the moon.
Experts are hailing the mission's complexity. James Head of Brown University called it 'the most ambitious, comprehensive, and complex robotic lunar mission ever attempted.' The mission employs an integrated exploration approach, combining orbiting, landing, roving, and hopping to comprehensively survey the south pole's environment.
Chang'e 7 is part of a phased plan. A follow-up Chang'e 8 mission, planned for around 2028, will test technologies for using lunar soil to build habitats. Together, these robotic missions are designated to help construct the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a future crewed outpost on the moon.
