China picks 10 international projects to participate in lunar mission

China has selected 10 international projects to participate in its Chang'e 8 lunar exploration mission, the China National Space Administration announced on Thursday.

The scientific and technological projects, from 11 countries and regions and the International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems, cover a wide range of fields and their equipment will be taken to the moon by the Chang'e 8 robotic probe.

According to the CNSA, the projects include a multi-functional robot designed by researchers at two Hong Kong universities, an intelligent exploration robot from Türkiye's Middle East Technical University, a lunar visible and infrared imaging system jointly built by Bahrain's National Space Science Agency and the Egyptian Space Agency, and a lunar electric potential monitor by the Iranian Space Agency.

CNSA administrator Shan Zhongde said on Thursday that China will work collaboratively with international partners to advance the Chang'e 8 mission, striving to achieve more scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs in lunar exploration to benefit the mankind.

Scheduled for launch around 2029, the Chang'e 8 mission will target the lunar south pole's Leibniz-Beta Plateau.

Together with the earlier Chang'e 7 mission, the Chang'e 8 aims to conduct scientific surveys and validate in-situ resource utilization technologies. These efforts will lay the groundwork for the future International Lunar Research Station.

In October 2023, the CNSA opened 200 kilograms of payload capacity for international cooperation, receiving 41 proposals. After rigorous evaluation based on scientific merit, technical feasibility, and diversity of collaboration, 14 proposals from 11 countries and regions as well as the International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems were integrated into the final 10 selected projects, according to the administration.