China wants to conquer the hidden face of the Moon: this is the valuable resource hidden in deepest lunar caves

The Chinese Lunar Exploration Project, or the Chang’e Project for short, continues its series of robotic moon missions with plans next year to visit the far side of Earth’s only natural satellite.

Chang’e-7 lunar probe will target the moon’s south pole to search for water ice and also trial cutting-edge technologies critical for sustainable human activities on the moon. The robotic “flying detector” will be deployed in 2026, China Media Group reported this week.

China in search of water on the moon

An innovative mobile hopper spacecraft equipped with a water molecule analyzer will traverse the moon’s terrain collecting samples to confirm the presence and distribution of water ice in permanently shadowed craters.

If lunar water ice is successfully located, it could significantly reduce the cost and time required to transport water from Earth, facilitating the establishment of a human base for long-term activities on the moon as well as enabling further exploration of Mars or deep space, Tang Yuhua, deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-7 mission said in a statement.

The Chang’e-3 (2013) and Chang’e-5 (2018) missions successfully landed on the moon’s near side, while Chang’e-4 (2018) and Chang’e-6 (2024) achieved historic touchdowns on the far side.

The Chang’e-7 mission has entered its final assembly and testing phase.

China has stepped up its space program, which aims to land astronauts on the moon within the next five years. The benefits it hopes to reap are not just scientific, but also closely related to resources, mapping the chemical composition of the lunar surface and the collection of lunar minerals as well as other issues involves the military, control of the cislunar region and national security.

In the not too distance future, scientists hope to design a system that can harness the natural properties of lunar soil and solar radiation, the two most abundant resources on the moon.

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