China's Chang'e-7 Lunar Mission Set for 24 August Launch to Moon's South Pole

24 August 2026National

China scheduled its Chang'e-7 lunar mission for launch on 24 August 2026 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan aboard a Long March 5 Y14 rocket. The China National Space Administration describes the spacecraft as a "four-in-one" system combining an orbiter, lander, rover and a hopping probe, all aimed at the lunar south pole. The lander will attempt a touchdown near the edge of Shackleton Crater to hunt for water ice, while the hopping probe uses active shock-absorption to leap into permanently shadowed craters and analyse water molecules. Six payloads from six countries ride along, relayed by the Queqiao-2 satellite launched in March 2024.

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Chang'e is China's lunar exploration programme, named after the Chinese moon goddess | China's national space agency is the China National Space Administration (CNSA), founded in 1993 and headquartered in Beijing | Shackleton Crater lies at the Moon's south pole — the same broad region where India's Chandrayaan-3 landed in August 2023

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