Chang'e-7

Chang'e-7 is a Chinese lunar mission scheduled to launch this year, aiming to be the first to directly sample and measure water ice on the Moon. The mission is newsworthy due to its pioneering attempt to analyze lunar water resources, a crucial element for future lunar bases and resource utilization. Recent reports highlight a potential challenge: the risk of losing water ice during the sampling process simply by touching it. The spacecraft is expected to land near the Shackleton crater at the lunar south pole, deploying a rover and hopper to search for ice deposits. Chang'e-7's success could significantly advance our understanding of lunar water distribution and pave the way for in-situ resource utilization, making it a key mission in the ongoing international effort to explore and potentially inhabit the Moon. It is being developed alongside NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon.