China is launching a Moon mission to find water ice. It’s unlike anything NASA has done
China is preparing to launch the Chang'e-7 mission to the Moon's South Pole to search for water ice in permanently shadowed craters. The mission aims to explore difficult terrain that has remained untouched for billions of years.
Why it matters
Locating accessible water ice is a critical step for future lunar colonization and sustainable space exploration.
Shackleton crater on the Lunar South Pole. NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio https://theconversation.com/china-is-launching-a-moon-mission-to-find-water-ice-its-unlike-anything-nasa-has-done-289710 https://theconversation.com/china-is-launching-a-moon-mission-to-find-water-ice-its-unlike-anything-nasa-has-done-289710 Link copied Share article Share article
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How do you explore a place where the Sun never shines? China’s space programme will soon embark on one of the most innovative lunar exploration missions in recent years.
We’ve known for nearly two decades that some form of water exists on the Moon . What we still don’t know is exactly how much accessible water ice lies inside permanently shadowed craters, how deeply it is buried or what form it takes.
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