Kamuela, Hawai’i / Hong Kong, China, 9 July 2026 — The International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA Hawaiʻi) and the Laboratory for Space Research at The University of Hong Kong (HKU-LSR) proudly announce the official release of the ILO-C mission patch, marking a major milestone in international lunar exploration. This visual emblem honors the collaboration behind the ILO-C project, a small, state-of-the-art, wide-field optical telescope which is set to launch to the Moon aboard China’s Chang’e-7 lunar lander in August.

The new patch design captures the essence of this historic mission, symbolizing the global teamwork required to design a camera to capture unprecedented wide-field, full colour imagery of the Milky Way’s Galactic plane from a stable, Moon-based vantage point.

With the flight model of the ILO-C camera having successfully completed all stringent space-readiness testing, both organizations express their immense enthusiasm for the upcoming launch. The Chang’e-7 spacecraft has arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Site to prepare for its journey to the lunar south pole.

The ILO-C instrument will be housed directly on the Chang’e-7 lunar lander, bound for the illuminated rim of Shackleton Crater. Operating in this extreme environment, the compact camera will conduct first ever astronomical color astronomical imagery from the moon.