China to launch Chang'e 7 lunar mission in 2026 to search for water ice

(ECNS) -- China plans to launch the Chang'e 7 lunar mission in 2026 to search for water and ice in the lunar south pole. This mission marks the cornerstone of the fourth phase of China's lunar exploration program, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Wednesday.

The Chang'e 7 includes the main probe, which consists of an orbiter, a lander, a rover, and a mini-flying probe, and a relay satellite. Both Chang'e 7 and Chang'e 8 missions are expected to form the foundation for an international research station on the Moon.

Scientists at the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory in Beijing and central China's Anhui Province are developing science payloads for the mission, planning to flutter a flag through electromagnetic interactions on the Moon. This idea was proposed by primary students in Changshan, central China's Hunan Province. If successful, it will be the first the flag to wave on the lunar surface.

Zhang Tianzhu, deputy head of the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, explained that since the Moon is vacuum with no air, it is challenging to make a flag flutter like it does on Earth.

"The solution involves arranging closed-loop wires on the surface of the flag and using two-way positive and negative currents to create electromagnetic interactions, which will make the flag flutter," Zhang added.

The Chang'e 7 mission aims to gather remote sensing and on-site scientific data of the Moon, laying the foundation for the construction of a lunar research station. Researchers are currently advancing the planning and validation of follow-up missions, including Chang'e 8 and the International Lunar Research Station.