‘Shackleton Crater’: China to send hopping robot onboard Chang’e 7 to hunt for water on Moon
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Produced by Tarun Mishra
China is set to launch the Chang’e 7 mission in 2026, aiming to search for water ice at the Moon’s south pole. The mission will include a lander, a rover, and a pioneering mobile hopper designed for exploration in permanently shadowed craters.
A key highlight of the mission is a first-of-its-kind lunar hopper, which will leap between sunlit and shadowed regions of the Moon. Equipped with a molecular analyser, it will search for definitive signs of water ice, a potential game-changer for future lunar exploration.
The Chang’e 7 lander will feature China’s inaugural deep-space ‘landmark image navigation’ system for precise landing. Meanwhile, the hopper will use advanced shock-absorption technology to ensure safe landings on steep lunar slopes.
The mission will focus on Shackleton Crater, a region believed to contain frozen water deposits. Discovering ice in these permanently shadowed areas could provide essential resources for astronauts and spacecraft, supporting future deep-space missions.
The mission’s rover will be an upgraded version of China’s previous Yutu (‘Jade Rabbit’) rovers. Larger in size and carrying new payloads, it will support water detection efforts and gather scientific data on the lunar surface.
Communication with Earth will be facilitated by the Queqiao 2 relay satellite, which played a crucial role in China’s Chang’e 6 far-side lunar sample-return mission. This infrastructure strengthens China’s long-term lunar ambitions.
Chang’e 7 is part of China’s roadmap for lunar colonisation, followed by the Chang’e 8 mission in 2028 to test in-situ resource utilisation. By the 2030s, China aims to build the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). Meanwhile, NASA is reviving its VIPER rover project to search for lunar water as part of the Artemis programme, setting the stage for a global space race on the Moon.
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