China to search for water ice at Moon's south pole
What's the story
China's Chang'e-7 mission is set to explore the Moon's south pole later this year. The robotic mission will search for water ice and assess the region for a future research base. This comes after India's successful landing near the south pole in 2023 with its Chandrayaan-3 mission. The Chang'e-7 lunar probe was delivered to its launch site in Hainan in April, where it is currently undergoing pre-launch preparations.
Mission strategy
Mission will adopt a comprehensive exploration approach
The Chang'e-7 mission will use a comprehensive exploration approach that includes orbiting, landing, roving, and hopping. This strategy was revealed by Zhang Jingbo, a spokesperson for the China Manned Space Agency. The multi-faceted approach highlights China's commitment to thorough research of the Moon's south pole region as part of its broader lunar exploration program.
Upcoming missions
Space race between India and China
In 2023, India became the first nation to land near the unexplored lunar south pole region with its Chandrayaan-3 mission. The following year, China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe successfully completed a historic mission to collect samples from the far side of the Moon and return them to Earth. Looking ahead, China is also targeting a crewed lunar landing by 2030 as part of its integrated Moon exploration project that combines crewed and unmanned efforts.