China to solicit proposals for lunar surface scientific payload for its first manned lunar landing

China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) started on Monday to solicit proposals for the lunar surface scientific payload for China’s first manned lunar landing.

China’s first manned lunar landing of the lunar probe mission has been initiated. According to the plan, unmanned lunar exploration missions will be carried out first before achieving the main goal of sending taikonauts to the lunar surface for the first time before 2030.

In order to make full use of the lunar mission resources and promote lunar exploration and scientific research, scientific payload will be taken by the lunar lander and conduct relevant scientific exploration activities.

The scientific payload will be utilized to gather valuable data and information about moon, contributing to the country’s lunar exploration.

The CMSA will solicit proposals for scientific payload from scientific research institutions, universities, and high-tech companies with independent legal entities.

The basic requirements on such payload include that the scientific payload should be oriented toward cutting-edge lunar scientific research and demonstrate strong forward-thinking and innovation.

Such payload include those involved in the research of lunar geology and lunar physics, observation and physical research, space life sciences, lunar subsurface drilling, and lunar resource utilization.

Besides, the scientific payload will focus on clear scientific goals and issues, with outstanding research value and predictable research outcomes. It is required that the payload can adapt to the lunar surface environment and meet the requirements of the flight mission of the manned lunar probe project.

In the unmanned lunar exploration missions, the scientific payload will be released from the lunar lander and operate autonomously after landing on the lunar surface. Whereas in the manned lunar probe missions, the scientific payload can be deployed and operate with the participation of astronauts.

As China plans to realize a manned moon landing before 2030, the country will attempt to build a moon-based scientific research station, in a bid to carry out long-term, systematic lunar research and verify relevant technology, an official with the CMSA revealed while outlining China’s primary manned moon landing plan at the opening event of the Nineth China (International) Commercial Aerospace Forum (9th CCAF) in Wuhan, Central China’s Hubei Province, on July 12.