Chang’e-6 Probe Returns with First Moon’s Far Side Samples
Siziwang Banner, The Gulf Observer: The Chang’e-6 probe returner has successfully touched down on Earth, delivering the world’s first samples collected from the far side of the moon. The return capsule landed precisely in the designated area in Siziwang Banner, marking a significant achievement for China’s space exploration efforts, as confirmed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
Launched on May 3, the Chang’e-6 mission is one of the most complex and challenging undertakings in China’s space history. The mission comprises an orbiter, a returner, a lander, and an ascender. It involved intricate stages such as Earth-moon transfer, near-moon braking, lunar orbiting, and the separation of the lander-ascender combination and the orbiter-returner combination.
Supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, the lander-ascender combination successfully landed in the designated area in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the moon’s far side on June 2. It then carried out its sampling work efficiently. On June 4, the ascender took off from the lunar surface with the collected samples and entered lunar orbit. It completed rendezvous and docking with the orbiter-returner combination on June 6, transferring the samples to the returner. Subsequently, the ascender separated and landed on the moon under ground control to avoid becoming space debris.
The orbiter-returner combination spent 13 days in lunar orbit, awaiting the optimal window for its return to Earth. After performing two moon-Earth transfer maneuvers and one orbital correction, the returner separated from the orbiter and successfully delivered the samples to Earth.
“The Chang’e-6 mission represents a significant milestone in the history of human lunar exploration, and it will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of lunar evolution,” said Yang Wei, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“New samples will inevitably lead to new discoveries. Fascination with the moon is rooted in Chinese culture down the ages, as evidenced by the mythological narrative of Chang’e, a lady who journeyed to and resided on the moon. Now, Chinese scientists are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to contribute to lunar science,” Yang added.
This successful mission paves the way for further lunar exploration and enhances our understanding of the moon’s far side, fostering new scientific discoveries and expanding humanity’s knowledge of our closest celestial neighbor.
