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China is pressing ahead with lunar exploration: the Chang’e-7 mission is set to head for the Moon’s south pole as the next step in the country’s lunar program. According to state news agency Xinhua, the probe’s main scientific goal is to look for water ice and other volatile compounds in the permanently shadowed craters of the polar region.
Chang’e (嫦娥) is the centerpiece of China’s lunar effort, run under the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) and the Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP). After Chang’e-5 and Chang’e-6 returned rock samples from the near and far side of the Moon respectively, the series now turns to the polar regions. Permanently shadowed craters at the south pole are considered highly promising, as water ice deposited over eons may have survived there largely untouched.
The lunar south pole carries strategic weight: water ice could in principle be split into oxygen and rocket propellant, which would make a long-term crewed presence on the Moon considerably easier. China plans a permanent station in the region as part of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS, 国际月球科研站); the predecessor probes Chang’e-7 and Chang’e-8 are meant to deliver reconnaissance and technology demonstration there.
The report frames the push in distinctly competitive terms: China’s move toward the south pole is explicitly set against the American Artemis program, which is also targeting the lunar south pole. Xinhua describes the development as part of a growing international race for the resources of the polar regions. Chang’e-7 is planned for launch in 2026; so far the mission is announced rather than firmly scheduled, and a binding launch date has yet to be set.