China to carry out scientific exploration during manned lunar mission

A visitor looks at a lunar soil sample displayed at a Space Day of China science exhibition in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, April 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan)

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Monday released an announcement to solicit proposals for payloads of the country's manned lunar mission, which will be used for scientific exploration on the moon's surface.

To make full use of the mission's resources and promote lunar exploration and scientific research, the lunar lander will carry scientific payloads for relevant exploration activities on the lunar surface, according to the announcement.

It said the CMSA will solicit proposals from research institutions, universities and high-tech enterprises for payloads designed to face the frontier of lunar scientific research with strong foresight and innovation.

The proposals should focus on fields such as lunar geology and lunar physics, observation, space life sciences, as well as deep drilling on the lunar surface and utilization of lunar resources, it added.

The announcement also said the payloads should be able to adapt to the lunar environment, including gravity that is one sixth of that on Earth, high vacuum pressure, strong radiation, a low magnetic field, large temperature differences between day and night, and lunar dust.

In manned lunar landings, payloads will be deployed and operated with astronaut participation. In unmanned lunar landings, payloads will be released by the lander and carry out their exploration activities autonomously.

Drilling payloads will be carried on unmanned landings and should be able to move, avoid obstacles and survive the environment of the lunar surface during working hours.

They should also be able to drill at least 10 meters deep, to collect samples and keep them safe, and to carry out thermal, magnetic and seismic detections in boreholes, it added.

The CMSA announced in May that China plans to realize a manned lunar landing by 2030. It also released an announcement to solicit proposals for the country's first manned lunar rover, which will be driven by two astronauts.