China’s Chang’e-7 Mission to Search for Water Ice on the Moon

China is preparing to launch its Chang’e-7 robotic lunar mission, one of its most ambitious Moon missions yet, to investigate water ice hidden inside permanently shadowed craters near the Moon’s south pole.

The launch window is expected to run from August 24 to August 31, 2026.

Chang’e-7 will consist of four major spacecraft components: an orbiter, lander, rover and hopper. The orbiter will map the lunar surface and relay communications to Earth, while the lander will touch down near the Shackleton Crater, a deep crater close to the Moon’s south pole.

The rover will examine rocks and soil around the landing site, while the six-legged hopper will be capable of making short jumps into and out of deep, permanently shadowed craters that conventional rovers may struggle to reach.

Why is China looking for water on the Moon?

Scientists have known for years that water exists on the Moon. In 2009, NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft into a shadowed lunar crater, producing evidence that significant quantities of frozen water exist there.

Further research has shown that lunar water may be more widespread than previously believed, including water molecules trapped inside minerals and possible deposits of ice in regions that have remained permanently in darkness.

Finding out exactly how much water exists, where it is located and whether it can be extracted could be extremely important for future lunar exploration.

If sufficient water can be accessed, astronauts could potentially use it for drinking and cooling equipment. Scientists could also separate water into hydrogen and oxygen, which could provide rocket fuel and breathable oxygen for future missions.

Why is the Moon’s south pole important?

The Moon’s polar regions contain craters that have remained in darkness for millions or even billions of years. Their ancient ice could preserve clues about the Moon’s history and the arrival of water from comets and asteroids.

The region is also considered strategically important for future human missions because of the possibility of using local resources instead of transporting everything from Earth.

China’s Chang’e-7 mission is therefore designed not only to determine whether water ice exists, but also to establish its depth, form, location and accessibility.

Previous missions have attempted to study lunar water. Russia’s Luna-25 crashed in 2023 before it could complete its scientific objectives, while India’s Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed near the lunar south pole and gathered important data about the region.

Chang’e-7 will take the exploration a step further by deploying a robotic hopper specifically designed to investigate areas that are difficult for traditional lunar vehicles to reach.

The mission could provide important information for the future of human exploration of the Moon and, potentially, missions to Mars.