China is forging a new path in lunar exploration, one that embraces international cooperation and is open to collaboration with the United States. This commitment comes on the heels of a successful Chang'e-6 mission, which saw the inclusion of scientific instruments from the European Space Agency (ESA), France, Italy and Pakistan.

Building on this successful collaboration, China's future lunar missions, Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8, will significantly expand international participation. Chang'e-7, scheduled for launch around 2026, will carry six scientific instruments from various international partners, focusing on the lunar south pole region.

Chang'e-8, planned for a 2028 launch, will offer a dedicated 200 kilograms of payload capacity for collaborative research. The mission will lay the groundwork for a potential international lunar research station by 2035.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has already signed cooperation documents with over 10 countries and international organizations for the research station, revealed Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the international cooperation department at the CNSA.

Chang'e-6: a good example

The success of international collaboration on Chang'e-6 highlights the potential of this approach. According to Liu, instruments from ESA and France functioned flawlessly on the lunar surface, while an Italian laser retroreflector and a Pakistani CubeSat also operated as planned.

CNSA's Hu Hao, chief designer of the Chang'e-6 mission, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, overcoming cultural and technical differences to achieve a successful mission. Looking ahead, Hu believes this experience will be invaluable, paving the way for even more sophisticated joint endeavors on the moon.

Read more about the Chang'e-6 mission that brought back humankind's first lunar far-side samples.

Openness to the U.S.

China has expressed its openness to collaboration with the U.S. in space exploration. China has a long history of peaceful cooperation in space, including with the U.S. However, the Wolf Amendment, a U.S. law, essentially prohibits the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from engaging in direct cooperation with China.

"I believe the American scientists wish to participate in the research of our lunar samples," said Bian Zhigang, deputy head of CNSA. "They should take practical measures to remove the restrictions in order to establish normal communication with China."

China has called on the U.S. to lift this restriction, arguing that it hinders progress in space exploration and benefits neither country.

(With input from Xinhua)