[Russian Media Reveals: Russian Instrument Aboard China's Chang'e-8 Lander to Enhance Precision of Lunar Dust Research]
On September 16, 2026, Moscow time, Dmitry Zarubin, Chief Engineer and International Project Coordinator at the Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI), told TASS:
The Russian LPDE-CE8 instrument planned for installation on China's Chang'e-8 lunar probe will not only study lunar dust near the lander but also distant lunar dust, thereby achieving higher precision. The Chang'e-8 payload will be additionally equipped with a special boom carrying extra sensors, enabling measurements to be conducted at greater distances from the spacecraft, reducing interference and improving accuracy. This will represent the maximum configuration. Moreover, the landing site itself will differ, allowing for comparative analysis of measurements across different regions of the Moon.
Dmitry Zarubin added:
A similar instrument, PML-Ch7, is also installed on Chang'e-7, which is currently in flight preparation. Originally scheduled for launch in 2026, the Chang'e-7 mission has been postponed to 2027. The project faces tight deadlines, requiring the production and delivery of test samples to China within a specified timeframe. As a result, PML-Ch7 is equipped with only one sensor (for recording particle impacts) and one Langmuir probe (for measuring surrounding plasma density, temperature, and potential).
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876466527217674/
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