Chinese spacecraft lands on far side of the moon

Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan Province, China. Source: Reuters.

The Chang'e-6 mission is to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insight into the differences between the less- explored distant region and the better-known nearby region.

The landing module touched down on the moon at 6:23 a.m. Beijing time in a giant crater called the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the China National Space Administration said.

It is China's second spacecraft designed to bring back samples, after the Chang'e 5 mission, which did so from the near side in 2020.

Technicians work at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) in Beijing, China, June 2, 2024. Source: Xinhua/AP.

In China's current mission, the lander will use a mechanical arm and drill to collect up to 2 kilograms of material on the surface and underground over about two days.

A robot aboard the lander will then return the samples in a metal vacuum container to another module orbiting the Moon. The container will be transferred to a re-entry capsule that is scheduled to return to Earth in the deserts of China’s Inner Mongolia region around June 25.

Missions to the far side of the Moon are more difficult because it is not facing Earth, requiring a relay satellite to maintain communications. The terrain is also more rugged, with fewer flat areas to land on.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/tau-vu-tru-trung-quoc-do-bo-xuong-phia-xa-mat-trang-10282392.html