China's Chang’e-8 lunar mission, scheduled for launch in 2028 or 2029, will include payloads from a diverse range of international partners, reflecting a significant expansion of its space diplomacy. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on April 24 the selection of 10 projects from 11 countries, regions, and one international organization. This follows a 2023 announcement offering 200 kilograms of payload resources for collaboration.
Selected payloads encompass multi-functional robots, rovers, and instruments for astronomy and particle analysis, along with imagers and a laser retroreflector. Notably, the mission will feature a Chinese rover, a Pakistani rover, and, for the first time in a Chinese lunar mission, micro-rovers jointly developed by a Turkish university, a Chinese university, and a private company. Many participating nations are also involved in the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), an initiative aiming to establish a robotic moon base.
Chang’e-8 will target a landing near Mons Mouton, near the lunar south pole, a region containing Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) that may hold water-ice. This mission, along with the planned 2026 Chang’e-7 mission, serves as a precursor to the ILRS, which is set for construction in the 2030s. A key objective of Chang’e-8 is to test in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies, specifically 3D printing of bricks from lunar soil.
China aims to attract 50 countries to join the ILRS. Xinhua reported that 17 countries and international organizations, along with over 50 international research institutions, have joined the ILRS. Previous reports indicate that Russia, Venezuela, Belarus, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Egypt, Nicaragua, Thailand, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Senegal, and Turkey have signed agreements or MoUs. Numerous subnational entities, including companies and universities from various countries, have also participated.
The ILRS is presented as an alternative to the U.S.-led Artemis Accords and Artemis program, framed by China as a collaborative, open scientific endeavor.