2-6-2024 (BEIJING) China has once again etched its name in the annals of space exploration by successfully landing on the far side of the Moon for the second time. The Chang’e-6 lander touched down in the northeastern region of the South Pole-Aitken basin at 6.23 am Beijing time on Sunday, as announced by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
This monumental achievement marks a significant stride in China’s ambitious lunar exploration program, as the lander prepares to embark on the arduous task of collecting and retrieving rock samples from one of the oldest and most enigmatic lunar basins.
“At 6.23 am on June 2, with the support of Queqiao-2 relay satellite, the Chang’e-6 lander and ascender successfully landed in the pre-selected landing area in the South Pole-Aitken basin on the far side of the moon,” the CNSA stated in a triumphant declaration.
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Incredible footage of China’s Chang’e 6 lander on the far side of the moon.
The successful landing marks a tremendous technological achievement and historic milestone in China’s lunar exploration program.
Launched on 3 May, the mission aims to collect… pic.twitter.com/bYVNMhEHqr
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The mission has already overcome numerous technological hurdles, including the design and control of a lunar retrograde orbit, paving the way for future advancements. With the unwavering support of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, Chang’e-6 will now embark on a series of critical tasks, such as intelligent and rapid sampling from the lunar far side, as well as the audacious feat of launching from the lunar surface.
The lander’s scientific payloads, including international instruments from the European Space Agency, France, and Italy, are poised to commence their operations, shedding light on the enigmatic far side of our celestial companion.
In the coming days, the lander will undergo initial checks and subsequently deploy its robotic arm to drill and scoop up lunar materials, with the aim of collecting up to 2kg (4.4 pounds) of precious samples.
If successful, these samples will etch their place in history as the first ever retrieved from the mysterious far side of the Moon, which perpetually faces away from Earth.
“My colleagues and I are very excited. I hope the mission will be a complete success and make history,” exclaimed Yang Wei, a geochemist from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics in Beijing, who has studied the Chang’e-5 moon samples. “When we finally get to analyse those samples in the lab, they will greatly advance our understanding of the moon’s history.”
The Chang’e-6 mission, named after the Chinese moon goddess, embarked on its celestial voyage on May 3, launching from the Wenchang spaceport on the southern island province of Hainan. Despite the rainy conditions, over a hundred thousand spectators gathered on nearby beaches to witness the spectacular liftoff, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV.
After a four-day journey, the 8.35-tonne spacecraft, comprising a lander, ascender, orbiter, and return capsule, entered lunar orbit and had been circling the Moon since then, meticulously surveying the landscape for the optimal landing site and timing.
On May 30, the lander and ascender detached from the orbiter and return capsule, setting the stage for the historic touchdown.
As the lander descended from an altitude of 15km (9 miles), its cameras captured images of the landing area, transmitting them to onboard computers to identify potential hazards, such as large rocks, and enabling evasive manoeuvres.
At a mere 100 metres (328 feet) above the lunar surface, the craft momentarily hovered, conducting precise detection of smaller obstacles and determining the final landing spot before continuing its controlled descent.
In the final moments, the lander’s engine was cut off, allowing it to gently touch down on the lunar surface, cementing China’s status as the only nation to have achieved a soft landing on the far side of the Moon for a second time.
The landing process was facilitated by the Queqiao-2 communications satellite, which orbits the Moon and relays signals between the spacecraft and mission control. Once the lander completes its surface operations, the relay station will play a pivotal role in assisting the ascender’s blast-off from the lander, docking with the orbiter, and transferring its precious cargo to the return capsule.
Originally designed as a backup for the Chang’e-5 mission, which successfully retrieved rocks from the Moon’s near side in 2020, Chang’e-6 now embarks on a groundbreaking journey of its own.
The samples collected by Chang’e-5 yielded surprising findings about the Moon’s composition and past, as the rocks proved to be significantly younger than those brought back by the US Apollo and Soviet Luna missions decades ago, suggesting that the Moon remained active at a time when scientists had presumed it to be dormant.
With samples from the far side of the Moon, scientists will be able to compare the chemical composition of rocks and unravel clues to the stark differences between the two lunar faces, according to Quentin Parker, an astrophysicist from the University of Hong Kong.
“Samples from the South Pole-Aitken basin may also contain ancient materials ejected from deep within the mantle by the enormous impact that created the basin itself, which may tell us about the state of the moon when it was first formed around 4.5 billion years ago,” Parker added.
Once the samples are ready, both domestic and international researchers will have the opportunity to apply for their study, as stated by the space authority, opening up new avenues for collaborative scientific exploration.
“I hope the University of Hong Kong might be lucky enough to get some of the very-different Chang’e-6 moon rock from the lunar far side for study,” Parker expressed, his voice brimming with anticipation.
