Published : 30/06/2026
The Chang'e-7 lunar exploration mission is receiving a lot of attention, and its equipped flying detector is a particular focus. Just how powerful is this super sci-fi flying detector that can crawl and fly? Why it is China's aerospace secret weapon for finding water on the moon?
The flying detector has 6 legs and looks like a spider
Chang'e-7 is composed of an orbiter, a lander, a flying probe, and a rover. Among them, the flying detector will be folded and carried on the lander during the journey to the moon.
When Chang'e-7 lands on the lunar south pole, it will unfold to become a spider, though some also think it resembles a spider crab.
In any case, its key feature is its 6 legs, which can bend and have a breakthrough active landing buffer technology, just like how a human's legs bend when jumping down from a high place.
With its 6 legs, the flying detector can repeatedly take off and land safely on different slopes and in complex environments, and it can also crawl. Experts describe it as a very intelligent robot.
One thing needs to be clarified: the flying detector relies on its legs for landing and crawling, but takeoff relies on small rocket engines, not a leap into the air with a push from its six legs as some might imagine.
Read more: China may become the first to find water on the Moon ?｜Chang'e-7 Ⅰ
Read more: Why is China's Chang'e-7 mission targeting lunar south pole?｜Chang'e-7 Part Ⅱ
Space enthusiasts estimate the flying detector weighs about 0.6 tonnes
As for its specific dimensions and weight, or even its exact appearance, officials have not yet announced them. However, space enthusiasts have calculated that based on Chang'e-7's total weight of 8.2 tonnes, and after deducting the estimated weights of the orbiter, lander, and rover based on data from Chang'e-5, the flying detector weighs about 0.6 tonnes, so it should be quite large.
Why was the flying detector designed in this way? Of course, it is due to the requirements of the mission.
The main focus of the Chang'e-7 mission is to find water, and the place on the moon most likely to have water is in the craters, widely distributed across the south pole region, that are permanently shadowed from sunlight.
Many meteorite craters have diameters of over 10 kilometres, their depths can reach 3,000 metres, and the inner walls are extremely steep. The rim height (the height of the outer edge of the crater) is also around 1,000 metres.
Probes like Yuetu that rely on wheels for movement would find it difficult to enter, and even if they did enter, it would be difficult to operate stably, let alone how to leave.
Flying probe is the optimal choice to finding water in meteorite craters
For this very reason, a flying probe that can take off repeatedly, land safely, and crawl is the optimal choice for tackling the meteorite craters, and it is the secret weapon for finding water.
According to some reports, the flying probe is expected to carry out at least three flying missions, including flying from the lunar surface into one or two meteorite craters in permanently shadowed regions, and taking off from the bottom of the crater to return to a sunlit area.
In addition, the flying probe has a drilling and sampling device. The impact drill can drill for samples inside the meteorite crater and transfer the samples to the water molecule analyser it carries for research to determine whether they contain water.
If the flying probe successfully finds evidence of water, it will be a milestone in human space exploration.
After at least three take-offs, the flying probe's fuel will be almost exhausted. However, after returning to a sunlit area to recharge using solar energy, it can still use its crawling function to continue exploring the lunar surface for some time, making the most of its remaining capabilities. Data shows that the designed lifespan of the flying probe is half a year.
(Cover image generated by AI)