Xinhua
25 Nov 2022, 12:30 GMT+10
HAIKOU, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Thursday revealed the international payloads that will piggyback on the Chang'e-6 lunar exploration mission, and announced another call for international payload proposals for the Chang'e-7 mission.
The CNSA has announced that it will carry scientific instruments from France, Italy and the European Space Agency/Sweden on the Chang'e-6 mission's lander, and a Pakistani payload on the orbiter.
At present, these four international payloads are technically feasible to carry, and all of them are on schedule for development work, it added.
Since it announced the cooperation opportunity in April 2019, offering to carry 10 kg of payloads on both the lander and the orbiter of the Chang'e-6 mission, it has received more than 20 piggyback proposals, according to the CNSA.
The Chang'e-6 mission, scheduled for launch between 2024 and 2025, will involve an on-site investigation, the retrieval of samples from the far side of the moon, and systematic and long-term laboratory research on samples collected.
The Chang'e-7 mission, expected to be launched around 2026, aims to explore the environment and resources at the south pole of the moon and lay a foundation for the construction of an international lunar research station, according to the CNSA.
Chang'e-7, which includes a lunar orbiter, a lander, a rover, a flying vehicle and multiple scientific instruments, aims to land at the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the CNSA said.
China has invited scientists around the world to participate in the mission, offering to carry 10 kg of payloads on the lander, and 15 kg of payloads on the orbiter, the CNSA said.
The deadline for submissions of letters of intent is Feb. 1, 2023. The preliminary selection is expected to be completed in early April and the international payloads the Chang'e-7 will carry are expected to be confirmed in early July, it said.
The CNSA unveiled the latest lunar exploration mission updates during the 2022 United Nations/China 2nd Global Partnership Workshop on Space Exploration and Innovation, which opened on Monday in Haikou, capital city of China's southern island province of Hainan.
Get a daily dose of China National News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to China National News.
More InformationWashington, D.C.: This week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit suspended 96-year-old Judge Pauline Newman from hearing ...
NEW YORK: On Tuesday, former U.S. Congressman Stephen Buyer was sentenced to 22 months in prison for trading on inside ...
NEW YORK: This week, the Virginia-based Students for Fair Admissions, founded by affirmative action opponent Edward Blum, sued the U.S. ...
LONDON, U.K.: Jet engine maker CFM International said this week that thousands of engine components may have been sold with ...
BATAM, Indonesia: Due to mounting geopolitical tensions and protests against China's activities in the South China Sea, ASEAN member nations ...
FREMONT, California: This week, brain-chip startup Neuralink, owned by billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, said an independent review board granted ...
TOKYO, Japan: This week, Toshiba revealed that a tender offer worth US$14 billion from Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) was a ...
BEIJING, China: In a country where weddings are traditionally grand and expensive events, China's wedding industry, estimated at some US$500 ...
HONG KONG: The Chinese Foreign Ministry has issued a request to all foreign consulates in Hong Kong, seeking the personal ...
CALGARY, Canada: From early 2024, the long-delayed and controversial Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion (TMX) is expected to ...
SEOUL, South Korea: Thousands of South Korean educators and school staff gathered in Seoul over the weekend to demand increased ...
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand In a heartfelt tribute to the victims of the tragic 2019 Christchurch attacks, the Australian Federal Police ...