SpacecraftMoonIn development
Chang'e-8
Planned Chinese lunar mission to the Leibnitz-Beta Plateau near the lunar south pole that CNSA says will work with Chang'e-7 on scientific exploration and in-situ resource utilization experiments as groundwork for the International Lunar Research Station. CNSA announced on 24 April 2025 a launch around 2029 with payloads from 11 countries and regions and one international organization.
Objective. Conduct in-situ resource utilization experiments and scientific exploration jointly with Chang'e-7.
Targeted
Facts
- Kind
- Spacecraft
- Mission type
- ISRU demonstration
- Target
- MoonLeibnitz-Beta Plateau, lunar south polar region
- Launch
- Planned 2029 (target)Announcement date not recorded. Record checked 2026-09-25.
- Phase
- In developmentCNSA/Xinhua release of 2025-04-24/25 on schedule and payload selection.
- Outcome
- Not applicable
- Why it is included
- Stated resource objective
Participants
Operators, payload owners, carriers and customers are recorded separately.
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| China National Space Administration | Operator |
Resources and evidence
| Resource | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Regolith | Targeted |
Open evidence gaps
- Specific ISRU payload (press reports solar melting of regolith into bricks) not confirmed from a CNSA page.
- An earlier public target of around 2028 appears in press and is not cited on this record, so it is not listed as a dated schedule change.
Sources
2 sourcesThe Chang'e-8 mission will target the Leibnitz-Beta Plateau near the lunar south pole region, working with the earlier Chang'e-7 mission to conduct scientific exploration and in-situ resource utilization experiments.
the Chang'e-8 lunar probe is scheduled for launch around 2029, and will carry payloads from 11 countries and regions and one international organization