By 
March 11th, 2026
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China’s next robotic lunar mission, Chang’e-7, is slated for departure later this year.
Its target is the Moon’s south pole in a search for and detection of water ice.
“Scientists around the world believe there’s water on the Moon, but no one has found any yet. Now China is going to look for it,” said Ye Peijian, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“And we’re using many methods, from searching the surface to exploring inside craters,” Ye told China Central Television (CCTV).
Specially designed hopper
The Chang’e-7 mission is composed of an orbiter, a lander, a rover, a hopper and a relay satellite. The specially designed hopper will approach and explore a Sun-deprived lunar shadow crater.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China’s Moon hopper, on the hunt for lunar ice.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Meanwhile, researchers at the Harbin Institute of Technology’s space laboratory in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province are conducting experiments to support the Chang’e-7 mission of hunting for lunar water ice.
Lunar soil simulant
“We’ve just created a lunar soil simulant for the Moon’s polar region. Next, we will use this set of equipment to convert that soil into water ice. The equipment can create a vacuum environment on the Moon, said Zhang Weiwei, associate professor at the School of Mechatronics Engineering at the Harbin Institute of Technology.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Zhang told CCTV that the equipment can cool the lunar mineral material down to minus 240 degrees Celsius. Then, this water molecule excitation device will produce a steady stream of water molecules.
“When the water molecules come into contact with the cold lunar soil, they will adsorb and deposit to form ice. By using special tools and molds, we can create samples of lunar water ice,” said Zhang.
For an informative video on the upcoming Chang’e-7 Moon mission, go to:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/934534785937701
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Posted in Space News
