Chang'e 7 (CE 7)

Chang'e 7 (CE 7) [CNSA]

Chang'e 7 is a Chinese lunar exploration mission developed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) for a detailed investigation of the Moon's south polar region. The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, lander, rover and a small hopping probe and is designed to search for water ice and characterize the environment around the lunar south pole.

The mission is part of the fourth phase of China's lunar exploration program and is intended to provide data for future robotic and crewed exploration of the south polar region. The landing site is planned near the illuminated rim of Shackleton crater, where the mission will investigate permanently shadowed areas and assess the distribution of lunar volatiles and other resources.

Chang'e 7 carries a total of 21 scientific payloads, including six international payloads. The mission's scientific objectives include studies of the lunar surface morphology, composition and structure, the interior structure, magnetic field and thermal properties, the south polar environment, and interactions between the Moon and the Earth's magnetotail and plasmasphere.

The orbiter carries cameras, a miniature synthetic-aperture radar, an infrared mineral spectrometer, a neutron and gamma-ray spectrometer, and a magnetometer. International contributions include a hyperspectral imager jointly developed by the Egyptian Space Agency and Bahrain National Space Science Agency, an Earth radiation spectrometer from Switzerland, and space-weather instruments from Thailand.

The lander carries cameras and a suite of instruments for investigating the lunar surface environment, including electric-field, ion, electron, particle and dust probes, as well as a seismograph. Additional international instruments include a laser corner reflector array from Italy, a lunar dust and electric-field probe from Russia, and a small astronomical telescope.

The rover is equipped with a panoramic camera, magnetometer, ground-penetrating radar, Raman spectrometer and an instrument for measuring volatiles and isotopes in the lunar surface. A small rocket-propelled hopping probe will enter permanently shadowed regions that cannot be reached by the rover and will carry an instrument for measuring water molecules and hydrogen isotopes.

The spacecraft will be launched on a CZ-5 from Wenchang. The launch was originally planned for 23 or 24 August 2026, but the mission was delayed because the probe did not meet the conditions required for launch. Launch has been delayed to 2027.