China is launching a moon mission to find water ice
We've known for nearly two decades that some form of water exists on the moon. What we still don't know is exactly how much accessible water ice lies inside permanently shadowed craters, how deeply it is buried or what form it takes.
In a recent development, China has announced plans for a lunar mission called Chang'e-7, which is scheduled to launch later in August 2026. The primary objective of this mission is to search for water ice on the moon, a challenge that scientists have been trying to solve for nearly two decades. The exact amount and location of this ice, which is found in permanently shadowed craters, remains unknown.
Accessing this ice is a significant challenge due to its location, where sunlight never reaches, and temperatures drop to extremely low levels (-200°C or -328°F).
China's lunar exploration program, named after Chang'e, the ancient Chinese moon goddess, has been building up momentum over the past two decades. The Chang'e-7 mission will consist of an orbiter, lander, rover, and a hopping vehicle, along with the Queqiao-2 lunar relay satellite. The hopping vehicle is particularly interesting as it is designed to leap over rough terrain and enter craters where conventional rovers cannot go.
The mission aims to determine the exact location, form, concentration, and accessibility of the water ice, which is crucial in assessing whether the moon can provide resources for future explorers. This marks a transition from mere exploration to determining the practical use of lunar resources. Other countries, including the United States, are also interested in addressing this same question.
The U.S. approach, through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, involves buying lunar delivery, mobility, and technology services from private companies, which has already yielded some experience with missions like Intuitive Machines' IM-2.
Upon successful completion of Chang'e-7, a subsequent mission called Chang'e-8 will focus on demonstrating how these resources can be used. This could eventually lead to the establishment of a permanent lunar research station, a collaborative effort between China and Russia. The challenges of accessing and utilizing lunar resources are universal, regardless of the participating nation.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
