Scientific Objectives and Suggestions on Landing Site Selection of Manned Lunar Exploration Engineering

Focusing on cutting-edge scientific issues related to lunar exploration and applications, 9 overarching goals and 38 specific objectives for China's manned lunar exploration program have been proposed. Leveraging China's technical capabilities in manned spaceflight and lunar exploration, as well as its expertise in lunar and planetary science, the objectives center on scientific research, lunar-based scientific research, and resource exploration and utilization. Based on these scientific goals and trends in domestic and international manned lunar exploration landing site selection, China's basic principles and processes for selecting landing sites have been established. Thirty prime landing sites have been identified, including 11 low-latitude regions and 1 mid-latitude region, taking into account scientific value and engineering implementation conditions. These scientific objectives and landing site selection recommendations will serve as important guidance and top-level input for the design and implementation of China's manned lunar exploration program.