China’s Next Moon Landing Mission: Chang’e-7 Targeted for Lunar South Pole in Hunt for Water Ice

China’s Long March 5 Y14 rocket has safely arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Site – the booster assigned to launch the country’s Chang’e -7 Moon lander mission. The rocket will undergo final assembly and testing at the launch site together with the Chang’e-7 lunar probe, which arrived earlier, explains the China Manned Space Engineering Office. “Currently, all participating systems at the launch site are carrying out preparations for the Chang’e-7 mission as planned.” South pole target China’s next robotic lunar mission is slated for departure later this year. Its target is the Moon’s south pole in a search for and detection of water ice. Liftoff is scheduled for late August, with an attempted landing at the end of 2026, according to sources. “Scientists around the world believe there’s water on the Moon, but no one has found any yet. Now China is going to look for it,” said Ye Peijian, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). “And we’re using many methods, from searching the surface to exploring inside craters,” Ye told China Central Television (CCTV) earlier this year. Specially designed hopper The Chang’e-7 mission is composed of an orbiter, a lander, a rover, a hopper and a relay satellite. The specially designed hopper will approach and explore a Sun-deprived lunar shadow crater. “The mission will adopt an integrated exploration approach, combining orbiting, landing, roving, and hopping, to survey the environment and resources of the lunar south pole, while also carrying out international cooperation,” added CCTV. For an informative video on the upcoming Chang’e-7 Moon mission, go to: