According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA), Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency, and the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics, and Physics signed a cooperation agreement to jointly develop a hyperspectral camera as part of the goal of developing and delivering scientific instruments for the Chang’e-7 mission.

According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the hyperspectral camera, developed by Egypt and Bahrain, will image and analyse lunar surface materials from orbit, including the Moon’s polar regions. In addition, the camera, which is one of the six international payloads chosen by the CNSA for the Chang’e-7 lunar mission, can provide high-quality hyperspectral data for diverse fields, such as environmental monitoring, natural resource surveys, and climate change studies.

Furthermore, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Thailand, and the International Lunar Observatory Association, a Hawaii-based non-governmental organisation, will provide the remaining five payloads. In May 2024, the success of the joint Bahraini-Egyptian venture in a global competition hosted by the Chinese Space Agency allowed them to secure a spot aboard the Chang’e-7 lunar exploration mission slated for 2026. The mission entails developing, testing, and deploying a multispectral camera to analyse lunar surface materials, which will probe the lunar south pole’s soil composition, including ice water. 

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