Chang'e 7

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]

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]

References

External links