China successfully launches Chang’e 6 sample return mission to the far side of the moon | Scientific news

China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft is on a mission to accomplish a feat never done before: return samples from the far side of the moon. The spacecraft successfully deployed to its intended orbit after a nominal flight, which lasted approximately one hour.

The Chang’e 6 mission takes off. (Image credit: CGTN).

New Delhi: China has successfully launched the Chang’e 6 lunar exploration mission. The lander is headed to the far side of the moon, at the southern edge of the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest impact craters in the solar system. The event is believed to have brought material from the moon’s deep interior to the surface. Analyzing the returned samples will provide scientists with valuable insights into the formation and evolution of the moon.

Onboard images of the spacecraft in orbit before deployment. (Image credit: CNSA/CGTN).

An official confirmed after the nominal flight that the Long March 5 data indicated that the Chang’e 6 spacecraft had been accurately injected into the desired orbit. The solar panels were successfully deployed and all instruments on board functioned as expected. The launch mission was declared a great success. The translunar orbit injection will be carried out after a short coast-down phase and a burn operation over the equator.

Cargoes from friendly countries on board

There are European payloads on board the spacecraft itself, along with the ICUBE-Q lunar orbiter from Pakistan. China will also use an orbiter to relay the signals from the moon’s surface, as it is not possible to communicate directly with the far side of the moon. China will use the Queqiao 2 relay satellite, which was launched earlier this year, for this purpose.

Chang’e 6 mission profile

An orbiter will deliver the lander to the moon, after which the lander will separate and land near the southern edge of the Atkins Basin. The lander is equipped with a drill and a shovel and will attempt to dig two meters deep into the moon to retrieve two kilos of samples.

The material will be transferred to an ascent device, which will perform the first rocket flight from the far side of the moon. Back in lunar orbit, the ascender will rendezvous with the orbiter and transfer the material to a reentry capsule. The orbiter will then discard the ascender and return to Earth orbit. China plans to land the return capsule in Inner Mongolia.