The hunt for water on the moon continues to be a primary direction for space exploration as it would put one of the most vital resources humans need in a relatively accessible location for long-term space endeavors.
With NASA looking to build bases on the moon, it would also put this critical resource in far closer proximity.
The James Webb Telescope has already discovered water in space, and scientists say there's definitely ice on the moon's surface.
So, the Change'e-7's mission isn't about proving that water exists, it's about locating a source so humans can put it to use.
This builds on the success of the Chang'e-6 space mission that saw an uncrewed craft land on the far side of the moon.
The hunt for water on the moon continues to be a primary direction for space exploration as it would put one of the most vital resources humans need in a relatively accessible location for long-term space endeavors. If humanity can find water ice on the moon and create a way to process it into liquid, it would mean one less resource that astronauts need to carry with them from Earth into space.
With NASA looking to build bases on the moon, it would also put this critical resource in far closer proximity. The James Webb Telescope has already discovered water in space, and scientists say there's definitely ice on the moon's surface. So, the Change'e-7's mission isn't about proving that water exists, it's about locating a source so humans can put it to use.
The mission is expected to settle near the Shackleton crater, though China has not confirmed this, and is aiming for a technically difficult 100-meter landing accuracy, or better, to help with the challenge of visiting a shadowed crater. This builds on the success of the Chang'e-6 space mission that saw an uncrewed craft land on the far side of the moon.
