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China-Chang'e Lunar Missions/Plan
Beijing, China - Apr 1, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Animations of Chang'e lunar mission
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (starting with shot 1/ending with shot 3):
"This feature (of the south pole) lays a foundation for our exploration of the moon because it will enable human beings to live and work there for long time. That's why we say we will be looking for water -- is there water in the craters? If so, that would be a huge discovery and a monumental achievement."
3. Animations of Chang'e lunar mission
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (with reporter asking question) (partially overlaid with shots 5-6/ending with shot 7):
(Reporter: "Can I take it that in future, it's okay to make phone calls and build houses on the moon?")
"Yes. Now we have developed the world's first device that produces bricks made of lunar soil. This system harnesses sunlight, collects solar energy, and transmits it to the Moon using fiber optics. By concentrating the sunlight, we can achieve temperatures between 1400 to 1500 degrees Celsius, which is sufficient to melt lunar soil. Our device then utilizes 3D printing technology to shape the molten material into bricks of various specifications. This approach allows us to utilize resources found on the Moon, free from transporting water and other materials from the Earth."
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
5. Sand table model of lunar surface 3D printing brick manufacture, paving with brick scene
6. Lunar surface survival capsule model on display
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
7. Various of sand table model of lunar research station construction site
8. Animations of Chang'e lunar missions
9. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (starting with shot 8/ending with shot 10):
"I hope more countries, more international scientific research institutions and more foreign scientists will participate in the construction of our entire project. I think in the next 10 to 20 years, we should mainly take the international lunar research station as a starting point or as a guide to push the lunar exploration program to a higher stage."
10. Animations of Chang'e lunar missions
China plans to launch the Chang'e-7 mission around 2026 to explore the environment and resources of the south pole of the moon, especially the evidence of water, and the subsequent Chang'e-8 mission will test technologies for building habitats using lunar soil, a space official said on Tuesday.
The country's lunar exploration program has maintained a 100 percent mission success rate over the past two decades and is now advancing to its fourth phase, Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, told China Central Television (CCTV).
Chang'e-7, the next mission scheduled for launch around 2026, will target the moon's south pole to search for the evidence of water ice in permanently shadowed craters -- a critical resource to sustain long-term human activity.
If confirmed, such deposits could revolutionize future lunar exploration by providing drinking water, oxygen and rocket fuel production capabilities.
Major spacefaring nations are focusing on the lunar poles due to their unique conditions which resemble those on Earth.
The lunar south pole's unique lighting conditions -- with some areas receiving near-continuous sunlight for more than 100 days -- create an environment where humans could potentially live and work for extended periods, Wu explained.
"This feature (of the south pole) lays a foundation for our exploration of the moon because it will enable human beings to live and work there for long time. That's why we say we will be looking for water -- is there water in the craters? If so, that would be a huge discovery and a monumental achievement," he said.
The follow-up Chang'e-8 mission, set for around 2028, will conduct experiments for the in-situ utilization of lunar resources, Wu said.
Apart from building communication systems and energy systems, the Chang'e-8 mission will test the possibility of building a research station on the moon.
"Now we have developed the world's first device that produces bricks made of lunar soil. This system harnesses sunlight, collects solar energy, and transmits it to the Moon using fiber optics. By concentrating the sunlight, we can achieve temperatures between 1400 to 1500 degrees Celsius, which is sufficient to melt lunar soil. Our device then utilizes 3D printing technology to shape the molten material into bricks of various specifications. This approach allows us to utilize resources found on the Moon, free from transporting water and other materials from the Earth," Wu said.
China's planned International Lunar Research Station has attracted participation from Egypt, Bahrain and other countries, with six foreign payloads confirmed for Chang'e-7 probe.
Once verified, the cutting-edge lunar soil brick technology will provide key support for the international research station project on the moon, Wu stressed.
"I hope more countries, more international scientific research institutions and more foreign scientists will participate in the construction of our entire project. I think in the next 10 to 20 years, we should mainly take the international lunar research station as a starting point or as a guide to push the lunar exploration program to a higher stage," Wu said.
China-Chang'e Lunar Missions/Plan
Dateline : Apr 1, 2025
Location : China
Duration : 2'33
Beijing, China - Apr 1, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Animations of Chang'e lunar mission
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (starting with shot 1/ending with shot 3):
"This feature (of the south pole) lays a foundation for our exploration of the moon because it will enable human beings to live and work there for long time. That's why we say we will be looking for water -- is there water in the craters? If so, that would be a huge discovery and a monumental achievement."
3. Animations of Chang'e lunar mission
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (with reporter asking question) (partially overlaid with shots 5-6/ending with shot 7):
(Reporter: "Can I take it that in future, it's okay to make phone calls and build houses on the moon?")
"Yes. Now we have developed the world's first device that produces bricks made of lunar soil. This system harnesses sunlight, collects solar energy, and transmits it to the Moon using fiber optics. By concentrating the sunlight, we can achieve temperatures between 1400 to 1500 degrees Celsius, which is sufficient to melt lunar soil. Our device then utilizes 3D printing technology to shape the molten material into bricks of various specifications. This approach allows us to utilize resources found on the Moon, free from transporting water and other materials from the Earth."
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
5. Sand table model of lunar surface 3D printing brick manufacture, paving with brick scene
6. Lunar surface survival capsule model on display
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
7. Various of sand table model of lunar research station construction site
8. Animations of Chang'e lunar missions
9. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (starting with shot 8/ending with shot 10):
"I hope more countries, more international scientific research institutions and more foreign scientists will participate in the construction of our entire project. I think in the next 10 to 20 years, we should mainly take the international lunar research station as a starting point or as a guide to push the lunar exploration program to a higher stage."
10. Animations of Chang'e lunar missions
China plans to launch the Chang'e-7 mission around 2026 to explore the environment and resources of the south pole of the moon, especially the evidence of water, and the subsequent Chang'e-8 mission will test technologies for building habitats using lunar soil, a space official said on Tuesday.
The country's lunar exploration program has maintained a 100 percent mission success rate over the past two decades and is now advancing to its fourth phase, Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, told China Central Television (CCTV).
Chang'e-7, the next mission scheduled for launch around 2026, will target the moon's south pole to search for the evidence of water ice in permanently shadowed craters -- a critical resource to sustain long-term human activity.
If confirmed, such deposits could revolutionize future lunar exploration by providing drinking water, oxygen and rocket fuel production capabilities.
Major spacefaring nations are focusing on the lunar poles due to their unique conditions which resemble those on Earth.
The lunar south pole's unique lighting conditions -- with some areas receiving near-continuous sunlight for more than 100 days -- create an environment where humans could potentially live and work for extended periods, Wu explained.
"This feature (of the south pole) lays a foundation for our exploration of the moon because it will enable human beings to live and work there for long time. That's why we say we will be looking for water -- is there water in the craters? If so, that would be a huge discovery and a monumental achievement," he said.
The follow-up Chang'e-8 mission, set for around 2028, will conduct experiments for the in-situ utilization of lunar resources, Wu said.
Apart from building communication systems and energy systems, the Chang'e-8 mission will test the possibility of building a research station on the moon.
"Now we have developed the world's first device that produces bricks made of lunar soil. This system harnesses sunlight, collects solar energy, and transmits it to the Moon using fiber optics. By concentrating the sunlight, we can achieve temperatures between 1400 to 1500 degrees Celsius, which is sufficient to melt lunar soil. Our device then utilizes 3D printing technology to shape the molten material into bricks of various specifications. This approach allows us to utilize resources found on the Moon, free from transporting water and other materials from the Earth," Wu said.
China's planned International Lunar Research Station has attracted participation from Egypt, Bahrain and other countries, with six foreign payloads confirmed for Chang'e-7 probe.
Once verified, the cutting-edge lunar soil brick technology will provide key support for the international research station project on the moon, Wu stressed.
"I hope more countries, more international scientific research institutions and more foreign scientists will participate in the construction of our entire project. I think in the next 10 to 20 years, we should mainly take the international lunar research station as a starting point or as a guide to push the lunar exploration program to a higher stage," Wu said.
ID : 8422303
Published : 2025-04-02 14:48
Last Modified : 2025-04-02 19:22:07
Source : China Central Television (CCTV)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
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