China will display a jumper robot to look for water on the moon

China A pioneering robotic explorer will send to the South Pole in 2026 that will “jump” from areas illuminated by the sun to shadow craters to perform detailed analysis in search of water from water.

Chinese Chang’e-70 lunar probe will prove this and other fundamental avant-garde technologies for future sustainable human activities on the moon, according to China Media Group, cited by Xinhua.

The mission, which uses an innovative spacecraft with a hopper equipped with a water molecules analyzer, aims to confirm the presence and distribution of water in permanently shaded craters, according to the report.

If lunar water ice is successfully located, the cost and time necessary to transport water from the earth could be significantly reduced, which would facilitate the establishment of a human base for long -term activities on the moon and allow greater exploration of Mars or the deep space.

According to Wu Weiren, the chief designer of the China Lunar Exploration Program, the Chang’e-7 probe, which includes an orbiter, a landing module, an explorer and a mobile hopper, will face extreme challenges, including temperatures below of the least 100 degrees Celsius and a complex land.

The hopper, a pioneer lunar explorer in its type, will “jump” from areas illuminated by the sun to shadow craters to perform detailed analysis. The landing module will deploy the “Reference Image Navigation” system of the deep space of China to guarantee precision, while the hopper uses active impact absorption technology to land safely in slopes, according to the report.

The probe can autonomously analyze its landing ground, and more than half of its operations are carried out independently without the need for land intervention. The solar panels installed vertically in the probe are optimizing to capture sunlight at a low angle near the lunar pole, Tang said, adding that the mission has entered its final assembly and test phase.