Robot with charging capabilities joins China's lunar landing mission

SHENYANG -- Chinese scientists are set to engineer a lunar robot equipped with charging capabilities for the country's Chang'e 8 mission, which is slated for launch around 2028.

A collaborative team of researchers from Dalian University of Technology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Shenzhen University has proposed the design of a multifunctional lunar surface robot that also serves as a mobile charging station.

It has been approved for inclusion into the Chang'e 8 lunar mission by the China National Space Administration, according to a news release from Dalian University of Technology this week.

The robot, weighing approximately 100 kilograms, is capable of conducting intricate experiments in the harsh lunar environment.

It can accompany the lunar lander and monitor its operational health, according to Yu Xiaozhou, the team leader from Dalian University of Technology.

The project aims to tackle technical challenges, including withstanding the extreme low temperatures of the lunar south pole and carrying out positioning, navigation and autonomous movement without relying on satellite navigation systems, said Yu Hongyu, a professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

The Chang'e 8 will constitute, together with Chang'e 7, the basic model of a lunar research station. The Chang'e 7 probe is expected to be sent into space around 2026 to implement resource exploration of the lunar south pole.