View source for Astronomy:Chang'e 8

{{Short description|Planned Chinese lunar exploration mission}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name                  = Chang'e 8
| image                 = 
| image_caption         =

| mission_type          = Lander, [[Astronomy:Lunar rover|lunar rover]], robot<ref name="AJ-02102023" />
| operator              = [[Organization:China National Space Administration|CNSA]]
| COSPAR_ID             = 
| SATCAT                = 
| mission_duration      =

| spacecraft_bus        = 
| manufacturer          = CAST
| dry_mass              = 
| launch_mass           = 
| power                 =

| launch_date           = 2028 (planned)<ref name="AJ-02102023" />
| launch_rocket         = [[Engineering:Long March 5|Long March 5]]
| launch_site           = Wenchang
| launch_contractor     =

| landing_date          = <!-- {{end-date|[insert date here]}} -- EARTH landing -->
| landing_site          = <!--Earth landing-->

|interplanetary         = 
 {{Infobox spaceflight/IP
   |type                = lander
   |object              = Moon
   |component           = 
   |arrival_date        = 
   |departure_date      = 
   |location            = Shackleton-[[Astronomy:De Gerlache (crater)|de Gerlache]] ridge, or<br />Leibnitz Beta, or<br/>[[Astronomy:Amundsen (crater)|Amundsen (crater)]], or<br/>[[Astronomy:Cabeus (crater)|Cabeus (crater)]]<ref name="AJ-02102023" />
 }}

| programme             = '''[[Astronomy:Chinese Lunar Exploration Program|Chinese Lunar Exploration Program]]'''
| previous_mission      = [[Astronomy:Chang'e 7|Chang'e 7]]
| next_mission          = ILRS-1
}}

'''Chang'e 8''' ({{zh|s=嫦娥八号|hp=Cháng'é báhào}}) is a planned robotic mission by China to explore the lunar south pole and to establish the technical predicate for the future [[Astronomy:International Lunar Research Station|International Lunar Research Station]] (ILRS). The mission is expected to launch in 2028 and will include a lander, a rover, and a robot.<ref name="AJ-02102023">{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Andrew |url=https://spacenews.com/china-outlines-change-8-resource-utilization-mission-to-the-lunar-south-pole/ |title=China outlines Chang’e-8 resource utilization mission to the lunar south pole  |work=spacenews.com |date=2 October 2023 |access-date=2023-10-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=嫦娥七号、嫦娥八号将组成我国月球科研站基本型--经济·科技--人民网 |url=http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2023/0308/c1004-32639590.html |accessdate=2023-10-02 |work=finance.people.com.cn}}</ref>

==Overview==
China intends to launch the Chang'e 8 mission as part of its plan to construct the International Lunar Research Station during the 2030s. Chang'e 8 will follow in the footsteps of the [[Astronomy:Chang'e 7|Chang'e 7]] mission, planned for 2026, and continue the latter mission's physical investigation of the lunar south pole region while pursuing new experiments such as in-situ resource utilization; it will serve as the basis for a larger scale robotic and crewed lunar research station during the ensuing decade.<ref name="AJ-02102023" />

The mission will include 200 kilograms of "piggyback" payload capacity available for international instruments. CNSA has set December 31, 2023 as the deadline for the submission of letters of intent by interested parties to contribute payloads to the mission.<ref name="CE8dazaigonggao">{{cite web |title=嫦娥八号任务国际合作机遇公告 |url=https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n6758839/c10393120/part/10393136.pdf |website=中国国家航天局 |accessdate=2023-10-02 |format=pdf |date=2023-10-02}}</ref>

==Potential landing areas==
Wang Qiong, deputy chief designer of the Chang'e-8 mission, indicated possible lunar south pole landing areas include the following regions: Leibnitz Beta, Amundsen crater, Cabeus crater, and the ridge connecting the Shackleton and de Gerlache craters.<ref name="AJ-02102023" />

==Scientific objectives==
In the October 2023 document that accompanied CNSA's announcement of international cooperation opportunities for the Chang'e 8 mission,  the following mission aims are listed:<ref name="CE8dazaigonggao" />

*Detection and research of multiple physical fields at the lunar surface
*Detection and research of the geologic profiles at the landing region
*Moon-based observation of Earth's atmospheric energy-balance and of Earth's magnetosphere
*Experiment and research on lunar in-situ sample analyses and in-situ resource utilization
*Experiment and research employing an enclosed mini-terrestrial-ecosystem on the lunar surface

==Mission instruments==
Currently, the science paylods on the mission include the following:<ref name="AJ-02102023" />

'''Lander'''
*landing camera
*topography camera
*seismometer
*radiometer (for Earth observation)
*multispectral imager
*soft x-ray telescope
*Earth ecosystem in lunar environment experiment
*experiments involving lunar resource utilization (ISRU)

'''Rover'''
*panoramic camera
*ground penetrating radar
*infrared spectrum mineral analyzer
*in-situ lunar sample analysis and storage device.

==See also==
* [[Astronomy:Chinese Lunar Exploration Program|Chinese Lunar Exploration Program]]
* [[Astronomy:Moonbase|Moonbase]]
* [[Astronomy:Artemis program|Artemis program]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Moon spacecraft}}
{{CLEP}}
{{Chinese spacecraft}}
{{Future spaceflights}}

[[Category:Chinese Lunar Exploration Program]]
[[Category:Missions to the Moon]]
[[Category:Chinese space probes]]

{{Sourceattribution|Chang'e 8}}