The China National Space Administration (CNSA) recently announced that the Chang’e 6 sample return mission is on track to land on the surface of the Moon in the first half of 2024.
About Chang’e 6 Mission:
- The Chang’e 6 mission is a planned lander designed to return samples from the lunar south pole.
- The mission aims to land on the Moon, collect samples from the lunar surface, and return them to Earth. This process will contribute crucial data to unravel the Moon’s geological mysteries.
- Representing the first attempt to retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon, Chang’e 6 is set to bring back up to two kilograms of lunar samples, adopting a configuration similar to the successful Chang’e 5 mission.
- The mission involves international collaboration, with payloads from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the French space agency CNES.
- ESA contributes a lunar surface ion tester, while CNES provides equipment for measuring radon gas and its decay products.
- Additionally, an Italian laser corner reflector for radar instrument calibration and Pakistan’s ICUBE-Q CubeSat will be part of the mission.
- Chang’e 6 will consist of both a lander and a rover.
- The lander will touch down on the lunar surface, while the rover will explore specific regions, conduct experiments, and aid in the sample collection process.
- The returned samples will be made available to the global scientific community for study.