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XUE Suijian, ZHAO Dan, SINGH Gaurav, PARKER Quentin, JIN Xiao, WANG Feiyang, CHEN Xiao, SU Meng, FENG Lu, DURST Steve Steve. Observation Mission and Scientific Calibration of the International Lunar Observatory Camera (ILO-C) on Chang’E-7 (in Chinese). Chinese Journal of Space Science, 2026, 46(2): 1-8 doi: 10.11728/cjss2026.02.2025-0158
Citation: XUE Suijian, ZHAO Dan, SINGH Gaurav, PARKER Quentin, JIN Xiao, WANG Feiyang, CHEN Xiao, SU Meng, FENG Lu, DURST Steve Steve. Observation Mission and Scientific Calibration of the International Lunar Observatory Camera (ILO-C) on Chang’E-7 (in Chinese). Chinese Journal of Space Science, 2026, 46(2): 1-8 doi: 10.11728/cjss2026.02.2025-0158

Observation Mission and Scientific Calibration of the International Lunar Observatory Camera (ILO-C) on Chang’E-7

doi: 10.11728/cjss2026.02.2025-0158 cstr: 32142.14.cjss.2025-0158
  • Received Date: 2025-09-09
  • Rev Recd Date: 2026-01-22
  • Available Online: 2026-03-12
  • The Moon provides a unique and advantageous platform for astronomical observations, particularly in the visible and ultraviolet wavelength ranges, owing to its extremely tenuous exosphere, the absence of atmospheric turbulence, and a stable surface environment. These characteristics enable long-duration, continuous observations free from atmospheric interference. As one of the international payloads aboard the Chang’E-7 mission, the International Lunar Observatory Camera (ILO-C) project aims to exploit these advantages to observe the Milky Way and the broader universe from a distinctive lunar perspective. 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. The ILO-C camera will be mounted on the +y panel of the Chang’E-7 lander and will experience multiple mission phases, including cruise, lunar orbit, and surface operations. This paper systematically investigates the scientific calibration workflow for the ILO-C across these mission phases, with particular emphasis on fundamental calibration, color calibration, and flux calibration, and further presents observational and calibration pathways for cross-validation. The quality of the project’s scientific output will largely depend on the optimized implementation of these calibration schemes. Ideally, in-flight activation and observations are expected to be achieved, allowing coverage of a broader sky area and enabling cross-comparison with observations from other space-based and ground-based astronomical facilities.

     

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