China and the US are reaching for same region of the moon. Could they work together?

Both countries aim to land probes near the same Shackleton crater close to the lunar south pole, with the US aspiring to do so this year and China in 2026

As the Nasa chief calls for curbs on US-China collaboration to stay, analyst says the obvious ‘need for cooperative activities’ will eventually win

Reading Time:5 minutes

Published: 6:00am, 21 May 2023Updated: 9:09am, 22 May 2023

The vast Shackleton impact crater near the south pole of the moon is an inhospitable place – its exposed rim is permanently bombarded by sunlight while the interior is permanently in shadow.

Temperatures can soar above boiling point on the surface and well below freezing in the darkness.

But the 21km-wide (13-mile) and 4km-deep feature may also harbour frozen water that could help support life on a lunar base – a possibility that has sparked the interest of the American and Chinese space programmes.

Space missions in both countries are reportedly preparing to land probes near the crater – the US later this year and China in 2026.

For now, the programmes are operating independently of each other but China and the United States should keep communication lines open for potential teamwork, US policy researchers said.

Both the Intuitive Machines 2 (IM-2), named after the US company that built it, and China’s Chang’e 7 probe will drill up to one metre (3.3 feet) below the surface near the Shackleton crater, and study extracted lunar samples. Each probe will also bring equipment called a “hopper” to scout permanently dark areas, including the crater floor, for traces of “water ice”.

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