China’s Chang’e-6 Achieves Historic Lunar Landing and Sampling Mission

China's Chang'e-6 Achieves Historic Lunar Landing and Sampling Mission

Dil Bar Irshad | June 2, 2024 | 12:16 PM IST | China, Space & Research, Technology | Follow on Google News

China’s Chang’e-6 Achieves Historic Lunar Landing and Sampling Mission

China’s Chang’e-6 Achieves Historic Lunar Landing and Sampling Mission

Key Highlights:

1. Chang’e-6 lands on the Moon’s far side to collect unprecedented samples.
2. The mission targets the South Pole-Aitken Basin, a scientifically significant site.
3. Autonomous operations reduce ground control instructions, enhancing efficiency.

China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe has made history by landing on the Moon’s far side and initiating a groundbreaking mission to collect samples from this seldom-explored region, Chinese State media reported on Sunday. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced that this is the first time in human history that samples will be gathered from this mysterious lunar surface.

Supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, the Chang’e-6 lander-ascender successfully touched down in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, an area known for its unique and challenging landscape. According to Xinhua, the Chang’e-6 mission includes an orbiter, a returner, a lander, and an ascender. Since its launch on May 3, the mission has meticulously followed a planned journey through stages of Earth-Moon transfer, near-Moon braking, lunar orbiting, and descent.

The chosen landing site, the Apollo Basin, holds immense scientific potential. Huang Hao from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) stated that the Apollo Basin was selected due to its scientific importance and favorable landing conditions. Despite the rugged terrain, the relatively flat surface of the Apollo Basin is ideal for landing and sampling.

Following the landing, Chang’e-6 will start its sampling mission, expected to be completed within two days. The probe will collect samples from both the subsurface using a drill and the lunar surface with a robotic arm. Jin Shengyi from CASC highlighted the meticulous preparations by the Chang’e-6 team, including a simulation lab replicating the lunar environment to ensure accurate and efficient sampling strategies.

The mission faces challenges due to the Moon’s obstruction, which shortens the Earth-Moon communication window. However, Chang’e-6’s intelligent capabilities allow it to execute instructions and make judgments autonomously, reducing the need for constant Earth-based intervention. This advancement significantly cuts down the number of ground control instructions from approximately 1,000 to 400, showcasing the progress in autonomous space exploration, as reported by Xinhua.

(Inputs from Xinhua)

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.