Selected in 2024 by the China National Space Administration and the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, ILOA’s ILO-C payload will conduct optical astronomy from the Moon aboard the Chang’e-7 lunar south pole mission.
 
Integrated onto the Chang’e-7 lander, the instrument is scheduled to launch in late August 2026, targeting a November/December 2026 landing near the rim of Shackleton Crater. It will gather data for at least one lunar day.
 

ILO-C represents a profound bridge of international trust and peaceful scientific collaboration.

ILOA partnered with Hong Kong University’s Laboratory for Space Research (HKU LSR) in mid-2024, with advisement from National Astronomical Observatories Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC-CAS), in order to meet engineering timelines and coordinate other details in China.

Developed by the Beijing Institute of Space Mechanics and Electricity (BISME), the compact, low-mass ILO-C instrument features a Sony IMX253 sCMOS sensor delivering approximately 12.37 megapixels (a 4096 × 3000 pixel array). This configuration provides the high spatial resolution (≤20 arcseconds) and wide field of view (≥19°×14°) required for effective Galactic imaging. 

In addition to its scientific objectives, the project offers unique value for astronomy education and serves as a technology demonstration for future lunar-based astronomical observatories. 

Mission Updates and News:

LOA Hawaiʻi and HKU-LSR Release Official ILO-C Mission Patch Ahead of Lunar Launch

Observatory by U.S., Hong Kong Led Team Heading to the Moon via Chang’e 7

Observation Mission and Scientific Calibration of ILO-C on Chang’e-7

Chang’e 7 Moon Mission Arrives in Wenchang for Launch No Earlier Than August

ILO-C Telescope Completes Testing for Chang’e-7 Lunar Mission

ILOA Shares Enthusiasm of ILO-1 Flagship Mission to Malapert Summit, ILO-X on the Moon, and ILO-C Launching via Chang’e-7 in 2026

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