There are very ambitious missions leading up to China’s first manned mission to the moon, which will be around 2030. This month’s Spectrum magazine runs a first-order map of these by Andrew Jones. When they arrive, construction of the International Lunar Research Station will be well under way.
China’s next unmanned lunar mission—Chang’e-6—will be a sample return, possibly taking the sample from the far side of the Moon. Chang’e-7 will consist of an orbiter, relay satellite, lander, and rover, and will target the south pole of the Moon. And Chang’e-8 will include a test of a technology that China plans to make extensive use of—using local resources on the Moon that can replace materials that would otherwise have to be transported from Earth.
