China's Chang’e-6 finds Moon's far side has 76 ppm water, twice as much as Chang’e-5 site, aiding future missions.

China’s Chang’e-6 mission has revealed new details about water on the Moon’s far side, finding an average of 76 ppm in shallow regolith—slightly less than the surface average—due to solar wind and impact processes. Water levels vary by time of day and are influenced by regolith composition and disturbances from the lander’s descent. The site holds about twice as much water as the Chang’e-5 landing zone. These insights highlight fine-grained surface material as a potential resource for future missions. China plans to launch Chang’e-7 in 2026 and Chang’e-8 around 2029 to further explore the lunar south pole, supporting development of an International Lunar Research Station, with a basic model by 2035.