The Chang’e 6 spacecraft launched on a Long March 5 rocket from Hainan Island on May 3, beginning a 53-day journey to the dark side of the Moon. The mission, spearheaded by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), aims to collect 2 kg of soil and rock from the Antarctic-Aitken basin for detailed analysis on Earth.
The sample collection process will be supported by the Thuoc Kieu 2 satellite currently orbiting the Moon. Chang’e 6 was originally built as a backup plan for the successful Chang’e 5 mission in 2020, which brought back the first lunar rock sample in over five decades.
The Chang’e 6 spacecraft is equipped with an orbiter, lander, sample collection ship, and reentry module. The lander and sample ship will collect materials from the lunar surface while the orbiter and return module remain in space. They will target the northeast area of the SPA basin, a region with complex geology and high scientific value. The spacecraft will likely bring back basalt, providing valuable insights into the Moon’s history and geology. Understanding the dark side of the Moon is crucial for scientists as it presents a different landscape compared to the bright side.
In addition to its scientific mission, Chang’e 6 also carries international research equipment, including the French-designed Detection of Outgassing RadoN (DORN) instrument, which studies the Moon’s thin atmosphere using radon gas. This extensive mission is aimed at expanding our knowledge of the Moon’s dark side and unlocking new scientific discoveries.
