China is gearing up for its next lunar exploration milestone with the upcoming Chang’e-6 mission, which aims to land on the far side of the moon and collect lunar samples—a feat that has never been accomplished before.
The mission is a significant step in China’s ambitious lunar program, following the successes of Chang’e-4, which landed on the moon’s far side in 2019, and Chang’e-5, which returned samples from the near side in 2020. Chang’e-6 is set to build upon these achievements by targeting the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest and oldest impact craters in the solar system.
Landing on the far side of the moon presents unique challenges due to the lack of direct communication with Earth. To overcome this, China plans to utilize the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, which will provide a communication link between the lunar probe and mission control on Earth.
Engineers from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation have emphasized that the landing process leaves no margin for error. “It’s an ‘all or nothing’ endeavor that requires precise calculations and advanced technologies,” they explained.
The Chang’e-6 mission will employ cutting-edge technologies in navigation, hazard avoidance, and automated sampling to ensure a successful landing and sample collection. The collected samples are expected to provide invaluable insights into the moon’s composition and the history of the solar system.
The mission is also a testament to international collaboration, as scientists from multiple countries are expected to participate in the analysis of the lunar samples.
As China continues to push the boundaries of lunar exploration, the Chang’e-6 mission represents a significant leap forward in understanding our celestial neighbor and showcases the nation’s growing prowess in space technology.
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Advanced technologies enable China's Chang'e-6 to land on the moon
cgtn.com
