China is seeking to land spacecraft near permanently shadowed regions near the moon’s south pole to investigate the potential presence of resources trapped in craters.
In such places, the temperature is about -230 degrees Celsius, colder than the surface of Pluto, which makes them potential traps for volatile substances, including water ice, as well as methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia and more.
Such resources can help researchers on the moon, because water ice turns into drinking water or is electrolyzed to produce rocket fuel.
The Chang’e-7 mission, which is expected to be launched in 2024 or 2025, will consist of several spacecraft, including an orbiter, a relay satellite, a lander, a rover and a “mini flying detector”.