The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has been actively striving to enhance the technological capabilities of the Chang’e 8 mission through extensive collaboration.
To achieve this goal, CNSA is actively seeking partnerships with various research institutes and companies to develop cutting-edge instruments.
The Chang’e 8 mission has a launch timeline of 2028, which will include a lander, rover, and an operational multi-task robot.
Altogether, the mission is expected to host 14 scientific instruments to conduct extensive observations and acquire critical lunar surface data that will benefit future exploration.
“The cooperation opportunity is open to the international community, and international partners are welcome to carry out mission-level, system-level, and payload-level cooperative projects in the CE-8 mission,” mentioned the agency’s document uploaded on its official website.
A robot to carry out various task
As per the South China Morning Post (SCMP), CNSA is currently accepting proposals for the development of nine instruments for the Chang’e 8 mission.
Applications are also being accepted for designing and developing a 100 kg robot with the “capability to capture, carry, and place items, shovel, and transfer lunar soil.”
Operating on battery power, this robot would be tasked to move instruments and various components from the spacecraft to the lunar surface.
Additionally, it must possess the capability to assemble objects meticulously on the lunar surface and navigate at a minimum speed of 400 meters per hour.
The robot is expected to collect lunar rocks and store them on a high-tech gadget aboard the rover. This will enable the analysis of the rock’s chemical makeup as well as its age, providing insights into the Moon’s geological evolution.
It will also be entrusted with evaluating additional technology for possible long-term human habitation in the future.
Testing robotic technology is critical to establishing the International Lunar Research Station on the Moon’s south pole in the future.
China is leading the building of this base station, which will be supported by several foreign partners, including Russia.
Making bricks from the lunar soil
The CNSA has planned various instruments that will be used to collect data on the lunar geology and study Earth’s magnetosphere from the lunar surface.
It also aims to deploy and test technologies for lunar resource exploration and extraction.
According to SCMP, one of the available payloads for application will use Sun’s energy to melt lunar soil, and convert it into “functional parts.”
This technology would most likely be utilized to make bricks from lunar dirt and build structures on the Moon that may shield future explorers from intense radiation when outside the lunar habitats, or even to create base camps.
The robots would be used to assemble the bricks into larger structures.
Another instrument will gather information on soil temperature throughout the procedure and assess the various characteristics of the produced components.
The other planned instruments in the pipeline include a seismometer and multiple sensors to detect moonquakes.
Prospective participants must submit their proposals by March 10, providing details on technical feasibility, financial budget, and an estimated timeline for instrument development.
Chang’e 8 represents China’s ambitious lunar exploration efforts and the establishment of a sustainable lunar research infrastructure, promoting international collaboration for the progress of lunar science and technology.
