Chang'e 7 (Chinese: 嫦娥七号; pinyin: Cháng'é qīhào) is a planned robotic Chinese lunar exploration mission expected to be launched in 2026 to target the lunar south pole.[5] Like its predecessors, the spacecraft is named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e. The mission will include an orbiter, a lander, a mini-hopping probe, and a rover.[6]
Mission type | Orbiter, Lander, lunar rover, hoping probe[1] |
---|---|
Operator | CNSA |
Mission duration | 8 years (planned)[2] |
Spacecraft properties | |
Manufacturer | CAST |
Launch mass | 8,200 kg (18,100 lb)[2] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 2026 (planned)[3] |
Rocket | Long March 5 |
Launch site | Wenchang |
Moon lander | |
Landing site | Peak near the southeast ridge of Shackleton crater 88°48′S 123°24′E / 88.8°S 123.4°E[4] |
Overview
The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program is designed to be conducted in four[7] phases of incremental technological advancement: The first is simply reaching lunar orbit, a task completed by Chang'e 1 in 2007 and Chang'e 2 in 2010. The second is landing and roving on the Moon, as Chang'e 3 did in 2013 and Chang'e 4 did in 2019 (The rover still being active as of 2023). The third is collecting lunar samples from the near-side and sending them to Earth, a task accomplished by Chang'e 5 in 2020 and 2024 by the Chang'e 6 mission. The fourth phase consists of development of a robotic research station near the Moon's south pole.[7][8][9] The program aims to facilitate a crewed lunar landing in the 2030s and possibly build an outpost near the lunar south pole.[10]
Scientific objectives
The official scientific objectives of Chang'e 7 mission are:[11]
- Investigation and study of lunar surface environment and water ice in its soil.
- High-precision investigation and study of morphology, composition and structure of the Moon.
- Investigation and study of interior structure, magnetic field and thermal characteristics of the Moon.
- General investigation and study of surface environment of the south pole of the Moon.
- Moon-based observation and study of the Earth's magnetotail and plasmasphere.
Scientific payloads
Chang'e-7 will carry a total of 21 scientific payloads, including 6 international payloads, aiming to conduct detailed exploration of the environment and resources in the south polar region of the moon. Mission objectives include fixed-point landings. In situ observations of the permanently shadowed crater will be made by the mini-hopping probe, which will carry water molecule and hydrogen isotope analyzers.[2][12][13][14]
Lunar orbiter
- High Resolution Stereo Mapping Camera
- At an altitude of 100 km, the resolution of the lunar surface is better than 0.5 m, and the imaging width is greater than 18 km
- At an altitude of 15 km, the resolution of the lunar surface is better than 0.075 m, and the imaging width is greater than 0.9 km
- Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar
- Imaging resolution better than 0.3 m
- Wide Band Infrared Spectrum Mineral Imaging Analyzer
- Lunar Neutron Gamma Spectrometer
- Lunar Orbit Magnetometer
- Lunar Surface Material Hyperspectral Imager (jointly developed by the Egyptian Space Agency and the Bahrain National Space Science Agency)
- Moon-based Dual-channel Earth Radiation Spectrometer (developed by the Physical Meteorological Observatory in Davos, Switzerland)
- Space Weather Global Monitoring Sensor Device (Developed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation of Thailand and the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand)
Lunar lander
- Landing Camera
- Topography Camera
- Lunar Surface Environment Detection System
- Electric field probe
- Low-energy ion probe
- Low-energy electron probe
- Intermediate/high energy particle probe
- Dust probe
- Lunar Seismograph
- Laser Corner Reflector Array (developed by the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics-Frascati National Laboratory)
- Lunar Dust and Electric Field Probe (developed by the Russian Academy of Space Sciences)
- Moon-based Astronomical Observation Telescope (developed by the International Association of Lunar Observatories)
Lunar rover
- Panoramic Camera
- Rover Magnetometer
- Lunar Penetrating Radar
- Lunar Raman Spectrometer
- In-situ Measuring System of Volatiles and Istopes on Lunar Surface
Mini-hopping probe
- Water Molecule and Hydrogen Isotope Analyzer
Launch
The probe is planned to be launched by a Long March 5 rocket in 2026, from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island.[3]