Humanoid robot may fly on China’s Chang’e 8 moon mission in 2028

A Chinese mission to test resource technologies at the moon’s south pole is taking shape — and may even include a humanoid form.

Wang Qiong, chief designer of the Chang’e 8 lunar mission, recently presented an update on the project in Beijing, according to a post on Chinese social media. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2028 and will aim to land near the moon‘s south pole. There it will conduct in-situ resource utilization technology tests — potentially using 3D-printing techniques to make a brick out of lunar regolith. It will also carry terrestrial ecosystem experiments.

The new post shows slides detailing the Chang’e 8 spacecraft that will conduct the mission. The four-legged lander, derived from China’s previous successful Chang’e lunar landings, will carry an array of science equipment, including cameras, telescopes and a seismometer. It will also feature a crane that will deploy payloads and spacecraft on the lunar surface. 

The lander carries a six-wheeled rover, similar to earlier Chang’e mission Yutu rovers, which will be armed with a panoramic camera, a lunar penetrating radar, an infrared spectrometer and a sample analysis and storage payload.

A further spacecraft, with four wheels and a humanoid-shaped top, is also noted in Wang’s presentation. It is unclear what the purpose of the spacecraft is, or the importance of its intriguing appearance.

Related: China unveils video of its moon base plans, which weirdly includes a NASA space shuttle 

Chang’e 8 is, along with the 2026 Chang’e 7 mission, a precursor to China’s planned International Lunar Research Station, which the country aims to construct in the 2030s with involvement from Russia and other partners.

Andrew is a freelance space journalist with a focus on reporting on China’s rapidly growing space sector. He began writing for Space.com in 2019 and writes for SpaceNews, IEEE Spectrum, National Geographic, Sky & Telescope, New Scientist and others. Andrew first caught the space bug when, as a youngster, he saw Voyager images of other worlds in our solar system for the first time. Away from space, Andrew enjoys trail running in the forests of Finland. You can follow him on Twitter @AJ_FI.