BEIJING, June 27 -- China is set to expand its international collaborations in upcoming lunar exploration endeavors following the successful operation of payloads from the European Space Agency (ESA), France, Italy, and Pakistan in China's Chang'e-6 mission.The country's Chang'e-7 lunar exploration mission will carry six international scientific instruments, and Chang'e-8 will offer 200 kilograms of international payload capacity and has garnered over 30 applications, said Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the China National Space Administration's (CNSA) international cooperation department.The Chang'e-7 mission, scheduled for launch around 2026, is poised to survey the lunar south pole region. The Chang'e-8 probe will be launched around 2028 to carry out experiments on lunar resource utilization and, along with Chang'e-7, constitute the basic model of an international lunar research station by 2035.The CNSA has signed cooperation documents with more than ten countries and international organizations on the International Lunar Research Station project, said Liu at a press conference on Thursday. (ICE PECHINO)

Fonte notizia: Xinhua