Designed with advanced scientific tools
Slides from the post, uploaded onto the Chinese social media platform Weibo, reveal details of the Chang’e 8 spacecraft. The four-legged lander, based on previous successful Chang’e missions, will carry scientific instruments like cameras, telescopes, and a seismometer. It will also include a crane to deploy payloads and spacecraft on the lunar surface.
The lander will carry a six-wheeled rover, similar to the Yutu rovers from earlier Chang’e missions. The rover will be equipped with a panoramic camera, lunar penetrating radar, an infrared spectrometer, and a payload for sample analysis and storage.
The Chang’e 8, along with the 2026 Chang’e 7 mission, serves as a precursor to China’s planned International Lunar Research Station, set for construction in the 2030s with support from Russia and other partners.