China is scheduled to launch the Chang’e-7 lunar mission on August 24, 2026, from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan. The mission will use a Long March 5 Y14 rocket and will explore the Moon’s south pole.

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The mission will use a four-in-one configuration consisting of an orbiter, lander, rover and hopping probe.

The orbiter will operate around the Moon, while the lander will attempt to land near the edge of Shackleton Crater.

The rover will explore the lunar surface, while the hopping probe will enter difficult and shadowed terrain to analyse samples.

A major objective of Chang’e-7 is to search for water ice in the permanently shadowed regions near the lunar south pole.

The hopping probe will use active shock-absorption technology to enter shadowed craters and analyse water molecules.

The mission will carry six scientific payloads supplied by six countries and one international organisation.

The spacecraft will use the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, launched in March 2024, to maintain communication between Earth and the lunar surface.

Chang’e-7 is part of China’s wider lunar exploration programme, which focuses on polar science, surface exploration and resource detection.