ASIM, jun 27
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced that a hyperspectral camera, developed by Egypt and Bahrain, will be used to image and analyze lunar surface materials from orbit, including the Moon’s polar regions. This camera, one of six international payloads selected by CNSA for the Chang’e-7 lunar mission, will provide high-quality hyperspectral data for environmental monitoring, natural resource surveys, and climate change studies. The other five payloads will be provided by Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Thailand, and the International Lunar Observatory Association, a Hawaii-based NGO. In May 2024, the Bahraini-Egyptian joint venture won a global competition hosted by the Chinese Space Agency, securing a spot on the 2026 Chang’e-7 mission, which aims to develop, test, and deploy a multispectral camera to analyze the lunar south pole’s soil composition, including ice water.
