HELSINKI — China will attempt to land on the illuminated rim of Shackleton crater near the lunar south pole with its 2026 Chang’e-7 mission.
Chang’e-7 will target one of a handful of sites thought to offer exceptionally long periods of illumination at the lunar south pole, according to a recently-published journal article.
The area, stated to be the illuminated rim of Shackleton crater, possibly corresponds to a candidate landing site for NASA’s Artemis 3 crewed mission named Peak Near Shackleton.
Such a site could offer favorable illumination while also being close to permanently shadowed regions which could host volatiles such as water-ice.
Chang’e-7 aims to provide valuable data for future lunar exploration and the potential utilization of lunar resources. The mission also is a cornerstone for China’s plans to establish an international lunar base in the 2030s.
China’s preparatory plans to establish its International Lunar Research Base (ILRS) include the Chang’e-8 south polar resource utilization mission. This is planned to launch no earlier than 2028.
Together the Chang’e-7 and -8 mission will form a basic outline of the ILRS, according to earlier announcements.
China is currently attempting to attract partners to the ILRS. Egypt is the most recent country to sign up, in December 2023.
The multi-component Chang’e-7 mission will feature an orbiter, a lander, a rover and a mini-flying probe. These will investigate the lunar south pole’s environment and resources with the support of a communications relay satellite.
The latter, named Queqiao-2, is expected to launch in the coming months to support upcoming and ongoing missions.
Science objectives
The article, published late December in National Science Review, lays out a series of science objectives. These include detecting lunar soil water ice and volatile components, studying lunar morphology, composition and structure. It also names…
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