China has expressed its openness to collaborating with international partners in a key mission to the moon, as deadlines approach for establishing a permanent base at the lunar south pole. The China National Space Administration stated, "China, which aims to become a major space power by 2030, welcomes collaboration with countries and international organizations in its uncrewed mission (Chang'e-8) and in jointly implementing 'mission-level' projects."
It added, "International partners are also welcome to participate in the Chang'e-8 mission and deploy their own units independently once the Chinese spacecraft lands."
Interested parties must submit letters of intent to the administration by December 31, with the final selection to be made in September 2024. The Chang'e-8 mission will follow the Chang'e-7 mission, which China plans to launch in 2026 and also aims to search for resources at the lunar south pole. Both missions will lay the groundwork for establishing an international lunar research station led by Beijing in the fourth decade of this century.
China's Chang'e-5 mission in 2020 successfully sent an uncrewed probe to the moon, and it also plans to send an uncrewed probe in the Chang'e-6 mission to the far side of the moon in the first half of 2024 to collect soil samples. China aims to send astronauts to land on the lunar surface by 2030. Chang'e-8 is scheduled for launch around 2028 and will work alongside Chang'e-7 to form the basic structure of a lunar research station.
