In a significant stride toward lunar exploration, China is set to launch its next lunar explorer, Chang’e 6, from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in Hainan province during the first half of this year. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed the mission’s objective is to collect samples from the moon’s little-explored far side.
Components of the Chang’e 6 probe were transported by two military cargo planes to Haikou, on Monday and Tuesday, and were then carried by truck to the Wenchang Space Launch Centre on the east coast of the island.
After the probe reaches lunar orbit, the components will separate into two parts, with the orbiter and re-entry module remaining in orbit while the lander and ascender head for the moon’s surface.
The lander/ascender combination will make a soft landing and then use a drill and a mechanical arm to gather lunar rocks and soil.
Once the surface operations are done, the ascender’s rocket will elevate it to lunar orbit to dock with the re-entry module. It will transfer the samples to the module, which will carry them to Earth.
The Chang’e 6 spacecraft, a product of the China Academy of Space Technology, follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, Chang’e 5, comprising an orbiter, lander, ascender, and re-entry module.
The operational process mirrors that of Chang’e 5, with the orbiter and re-entry module remaining in orbit while the lander and ascender head for the moon’s surface. Upon a soft landing, the lander-ascender combination will utilize a drill and mechanical arm to collect lunar rocks and soil.
What sets Chang’e 6 apart is its mission to the far side of the moon, a region largely unexplored until China’s Chang’e 4 mission touched down in the South Pole-Aitken Basin in January 2019. The upcoming mission aims to land in the South Pole-Aitken Basin once again, targeting a region with unique geological features.
Experts highlight the mission’s complexity, emphasizing that collecting samples from the moon’s far side presents a distinct set of challenges. The South Pole-Aitken Basin, a colossal crater at the moon’s bottom, holds geological significance, potentially offering insights into lunar materials from the basin’s impact.
According to Pang Zhihao, an expert on space exploration technology, “The South Pole-Aitken Basin, a gigantic crater at the bottom of the moon, is the largest and deepest known basin in the solar system. It has a mineralogy distinct from other locations that may reflect materials from the inside of the moon that were brought up by the impact that created the basin. The far side is also considerably more mountainous than the near side for reasons researchers have yet to find out,”.
To foster international collaboration, the CNSA has allocated space on the lander and orbiter for foreign equipment. Scientific instruments from France, Italy, and the European Space Agency will accompany the Chang’e 6 lander, while a Pakistani payload is slated for the orbiter.
As China advances its lunar exploration ambitions, this mission signifies a crucial step in enhancing our understanding of the moon’s geology and geological evolution. With the United States also pursuing lunar goals, including a planned moon landing in 2026, the global interest in lunar exploration continues to intensify.
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