China’s Chang’e-7 Mission to Hunt for Moon Water

China is poised to launch its most technically challenging lunar mission to date, targeting the moon’s south pole in a quest for frozen water. The uncrewed Chang’e-7 mission, named after a mythical Chinese moon goddess, will include a robotic lander, a rover, and a hopping probe, targeting one of the coldest regions in the solar system. This mission is a significant milestone toward Beijing’s ambition of establishing a permanent human presence on the moon, with plans for a crewed lunar landing before 2030 and a joint research station with Russia by 2035.

Launch and Landing Plans

The Chang’e-7 spacecraft is scheduled to launch next week from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan island, using a Long March 5 rocket and carrying scientific instruments like water analyzers, cameras, and radars. After entering lunar orbit, the spacecraft will first assess potential landing sites near the south pole before attempting a touchdown. One possible landing site is near the rim of Shackleton crater, a permanently shadowed depression, though the crater’s jagged rim is almost constantly bathed in sunlight.

China has not publicly announced a timeline for the mission, but space observers estimate a landing attempt could occur around November. Following touchdown, the rover and hopper will begin surveying the lunar surface. The duration of the Chang’e-7 mission has not been disclosed.

The Search for Water

The mission’s focus is on craters near the moon’s south pole that have been in darkness for billions of years. Scientists believe these craters may act as deep freezers, preserving ancient water and volatile organic compounds. Temperatures in some shadowed terrain near the lunar south pole can drop to as low as minus 203 degrees Celsius (minus 334 degrees Fahrenheit), according to NASA.

Accessible water is vital for future lunar bases, as it could provide drinking water, oxygen for astronauts, and raw rocket propellant, reducing the need for costly resupply missions from Earth. Unlike most lunar areas where a single night lasts 14 Earth days, the high peaks and crater rims near the south pole receive near-constant sunlight, making them ideal for a lunar outpost with a stable thermal climate and continuous solar power.

A Growing Global Race

The United States, India, and Russia have also targeted the moon’s south pole, but only India has landed nearby, with its Chandrayaan-3 mission in 2023. In the coming years, NASA’s VIPER rover, the European Space Agency’s PROSPECT drilling package, and the Japan-India LUPEX rover are expected to arrive at the moon’s south pole as the race to find water intensifies.

Innovative Hopping Probe

Traditional wheeled rovers face challenges with the steepness of crater rims, so Chang’e-7 will deploy a novel hopping probe to descend into pitch-black crater floors. The hopper, equipped with a water molecule analyzer, will use small thrusters to fly into shadowed craters, land on six articulated legs, and then hop back to sunlit rims to recharge. Technical details about the hopper’s weight, engine performance, and flight range have not been made public, but China’s state news agency Xinhua has reported that the hopper is expected to perform at least three hops during the mission.

Paving the Way for Crewed Missions

Data from Chang’e-7 and its successor Chang’e-8, planned for around 2029, will be crucial for China’s crewed landing by 2030, as these missions aim to lay the groundwork for a permanently inhabited research station. China’s plan to send humans to the moon and build an outpost near the south pole coincides with NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon by 2028 and establish a sustained human presence. In April, NASA’s Artemis II mission completed a 10-day crewed lunar flyby, with four astronauts traveling farther into space than any humans in history, reaching a record distance of 252,756 miles from Earth before safely returning home.

China’s upcoming Chang’e-7 mission is set to be the country’s most technically challenging lunar endeavor, focusing on the hunt for frozen water in permanently shadowed craters at the moon’s south pole.