A Tentative Plan of China to Establish a Lunar Research Station in the Next Ten Years

China successfully implemented the missions of Chang'E-1 in 2007, Chang'E-2 in 2010 and Chang'E-3 in 2013 respectively, and Chang'E-4 will be launched in 2018 to achieve landing and inspection on the far side of the Moon. And later, Chang'E-5 will be launched in 2019, with an attempt to collect lunar samples and return them to the Earth. On this basis, through years of study and discussion, Chinese scientists have proposed a preliminary plan for establishing a lunar research station on the lunar South Pole by implementing 3-4 missions between 2021 and 2030. The first mission is designed to carry out geological investigations on the landing site and the detection of water ice in the permanently shadow crater. The main scientific task of the second mission is to collect lunar rock and soil samples and return them to the Earth for further analysis. The third mission is focused on the test of in- site utilization of lunar resources on the Moon.