Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

China’s Chang’e-7 is to launch a mini-scout that will overfly a shadowed crater at the Moon’s south pole to look for possible traces of water or ice.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

China’s Chang’e-7 robotic Moon mission is scheduled for the second half of 2026 and will carry a Russian instrument to monitor the pervasive nature of lunar dust.

A memorandum was signed by the Roscosmos State Corporation and the China National Space Administration following the recent meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chang’e-7’s goal is to conduct scientific research in the vicinity of the Moon’s South Pole.

Near-surface exosphere

The Russian scientific instrument “Dust Monitoring of the Moon” will carry out experiments on the study of dust components and dynamics of the near-surface exosphere of the Moon; Registration of micrometeorites and secondary particles of lunar regolith; and study the parameters of low-energy plasma near the surface of the Moon.

Lunar dust haunted Apollo moonwalkers. 
Image credit: NASA/Azita Valinia

According to Roscosmos, because the lunar exosphere is very weak and thin, it can only be effectively studied from the surface of the Moon. The Russian instrument will be integrated into Chang’e-7, along with other foreign payloads from such countries as Egypt, Bahrain, Italy, Switzerland, and Thailand.

Chang’e-7 is to explore the environment and resources of the south pole of the Moon, especially the evidence of water.

Mobile hopper

Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, stated earlier this year that the Chang’e-7 probe – comprising an orbiter, a lander, a rover, and a mobile hopper – will face extreme challenges, including temperatures below minus 100 degrees Celsius and complex terrain.

China’s Chang’e-7 lander launches hopper craft to search for lunar ice.
Image credit: CCTV/CNSA/Inside Outer Space screengrab

Reportedly, the hopper is slated to “jump” from sunlit areas to shadowed craters to conduct detailed analyses. The lander will also deploy China’s inaugural deep-space “landmark image navigation” system to ensure precision, while the hopper utilizes active shock-absorption technology to safely land on slopes.

The Chang’e-8 mission, set for around 2028, will test technologies for building habitats using lunar soil said Wu.

The two upcoming lunar landers are assigned duties to assist in orchestrating China’s planned, multi-phased, International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).

Detailed discussion about the ILRS is on the agenda at the 3rd International Deep Space Exploration Conference (Tiandu Forum) now underway September 4-5 in Hefei, Anhui Province.

Meanwhile, China’s first crewed landing on the Moon is expected by 2030.

China’s Chang’e-8 lunar lander, a step forward in building the International Lunar Research Station.
Image credit: CNSA