China prepares to explore Moon’s south pole PHOTO

China has moved the Long March 5 rocket carrying its Chang’e-7 lunar probe to the launch site in Wenchang, Hainan province.

The mission, which is expected to launch in the coming days, will focus on exploring the Moon’s south pole, including areas inside permanently shadowed craters, Caliber.Az reports, citing Chinese media.

Chang’e-7 will test technologies for high-precision lunar landings, manoeuvring and scientific research on the lunar surface.

The mission will include an orbiter, a lander, a rover and a specialised hopping probe, known as a hopper. The spacecraft will study the environment around the lunar south pole and search for potential resources.

The mission also includes international contributions, with scientific instruments and payloads from Egypt, Bahrain, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Thailand and the International Lunar Observatory Association.

China has previously reported successfully landing a rocket’s first stage on land for the first time.

By Aghakazim Guliyev