In a groundbreaking move, China’s space agency has embraced a commercial partner for a lunar exploration mission. This signals a potential shift towards greater commercial lunar activity. STAR.VISION Aerospace Group Limited, specializing in satellite design and AI data analysis, will collaborate with Zhejiang University (ZJU) and the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Türkiye. Their joint project involves developing two 5-kilogram lunar surface micro-exploration robots for the Chang’e-8 mission, scheduled for launch in 2028.
STAR.VISION's inclusion marks the first time a Chinese private enterprise has been approved by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) for lunar exploration. The collaboration will leverage the expertise of each partner: ZJU, with its experience in lunar imaging, will focus on engineering; STAR.VISION will contribute algorithms and components; and METU, reflecting Türkiye’s recent application to join the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), will concentrate on navigation and robotic subsystems. “It is a great honor to participate in such a cutting-edge international cooperation project,” stated Halil Ersin Soken, METU professor and project’s chief designer for the Turkish side, to Chinese media. “We will focus on the development of navigation systems and robotic subsystems,” he added.
Chang’e-8, a test mission for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), aims to utilize lunar resources for future habitation. This mission, along with Chang’e-7 (2026), will lay the groundwork for China’s larger-scale ILRS project in the 2030s. The inclusion of STAR.VISION signifies not only the capacity of Chinese companies to participate in national lunar missions but also hints at potential future independent commercial lunar missions.
China's growing support for commercial space ventures is evident in its increasing allowance of larger rockets and constellation plans. Last year, commercial space became a key priority, mirroring NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) with China’s selection of proposals for low-cost space station resupply missions using commercial rockets. The Chang’e-8 mission will also feature another robot, a 100-kilogram project led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), involving Chinese universities, the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), and the South African National Space Agency (SANSA). “Its mobile wireless charging capability can power up various devices on the lunar surface, boosting the efficiency of both lunar exploration and collaborative operations,” noted a HKUST statement.
CNSA’s October 2023 announcement offered 200 kilograms of payload mass for international cooperation in Chang’e-8, continuing a pattern of international collaborations in previous Chang’e missions. Further initiatives, including experiments using lunar regolith simulant bricks on the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft, and exploration of lava tubes as habitats, underscore China’s comprehensive approach to lunar exploration challenges. These efforts, including research into laser-powered spacecraft and communication networks, point towards a robust future for Chinese lunar exploration.