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The first of the three missions to the south pole of the moon will be launched in around 2024.
Each of the Chang'e missions will have different goals and an array of satellites. The fourth phase of the Chinese lunar exploration program is called Chang'e 5, and it was launched in December of last year.
In a recent interview, the deputy head of the China National Space Administration said that the three missions had been approved.
Photos from the moon's far side. China's Chang'e 4 lunar landing.
The Yutu 2 rover is seen by the Chang'e 4 landers. The image is from the CNSA.
Chang'e 7 will be the first to be launched, but there is no timetable, but previous reports indicate a hoped-for launch around 2024 with a mission to include an lander, a rover and a mini flying craft.
The various component spacecraft will carry a range of science instruments, including cameras, a radar instrument, a mineral imager, a seismograph, and a water-molecule analyzer, as well as conducting a comprehensive study of the lunar environment. The Long March 5 will have to launch the 18,000 pounds mission.
Chang'e 6 was supposed to be a backup for the Chang'e 5 sample-return mission. The new mission will attempt to duplicate the success of the previous mission by collecting the first ever rock samples from the moon's south pole and delivering them to Earth. France and Italy are two countries that China has said it will carry science payloads from.
Chang'e 8 will launch later this decade and will be a step toward establishing a joint International lunar research station with Russia and other partners. The mission is expected to test technology for using local resources and manufacturing with 3D printing.
The main purpose of these three missions is for China to build a basic model of a lunar research station in cooperation with Russia, with China taking the lead, according to Wu. The construction of the station will lay a solid foundation for us to explore the lunar environment and resources, as well as how to peacefully use and develop lunar resources.
The robotic base can be expanded to allow astronauts to stay on the lunar surface for a long time. The project is not related to the U.S.-led Artemis program, which seeks to return astronauts to the moon in the coming years. Artemis 1, an uncrewed mission around the moon, is aiming for a launch in spring of 2022.
The Chang'e 4 lander and Yutu 2 rover are on the far side of the moon, and they made the first-ever landing on the lunar far side in 2019. Yutu 2 is looking at rocks on the horizon dubbed a "mystery hut" by a Chinese space outreach channel.
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