A Pakistani rover will fly on China’s Chang’e-8 mission to the Moon
Pakistan and China have finalized plans to place a Pakistani rover on China’s Chang’e-8 lunar lander mission.
This rover partnership was first announced in November 2024. This new release appears to provide a bit more information about the rover itself.
The rover will have a mass of around 35 kilograms and carry science payloads for studying lunar soil composition, radiation levels, plasma properties and testing new technologies for sustainable human presence on the Moon. It will also feature a collaborative scientific payload developed by Chinese and European researchers.
The Chang’e-8 mission is targeting a 2030 launch and will land in the Moon’s south pole region. China also claims it will initiate construction of China’s International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), but that’s a bit of hyperbole. All it shall be is another unmanned lander with two rovers and other instruments, hardly a manned base. What will matter will be what follows, and how quickly.
Pakistan and China have finalized plans to place a Pakistani rover on China’s Chang’e-8 lunar lander mission.
This rover partnership was first announced in November 2024. This new release appears to provide a bit more information about the rover itself.
The rover will have a mass of around 35 kilograms and carry science payloads for studying lunar soil composition, radiation levels, plasma properties and testing new technologies for sustainable human presence on the Moon. It will also feature a collaborative scientific payload developed by Chinese and European researchers.
The Chang’e-8 mission is targeting a 2030 launch and will land in the Moon’s south pole region. China also claims it will initiate construction of China’s International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), but that’s a bit of hyperbole. All it shall be is another unmanned lander with two rovers and other instruments, hardly a manned base. What will matter will be what follows, and how quickly.