China National Space Administration announced the launch of an unprecedented lunar mission on sending its Chang'e-6 lunar probe to the far side of the Moon.
The Chang'e-6 lunar probe is scheduled to take off between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Beijing Time and will be an important milestone in the human lunar exploration program, which aims to collect and return samples from the mysterious far side of the Moon.
The Long March-5 Y8 rocket bearing the Chang'e-6 probe is currently being prepared at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan, China, as it fuels with the liquid oxygen cryogenic propellant.
The Chang'e-6 spacecraft is equipped with an orbiter, a lander, an ascender, and a returner. Four payloads developed through international cooperation are put on board in the spacecraft. These scientific instruments from France, Italy, the European Space Agency, and a small satellite from Pakistan sum up to the overall scientific research aim.
The CNSA has invited about 50 guests from 12 countries and international organizations to attend a workshop focused on the international payloads and to witness the historic launch in Hainan.
The Apollo Basin, which is located within the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon, will be selected as the landing and sampling location of the Chang'e-6 mission. After landing on the Moon's surface, the spacecraft will perform a soft landing, and the robotic arm deployed on it will collect rocks and soil samples. It will also drill for scientific research.
After collecting the samples, the ascender will perform a liftoff from the Moon and rejoin the orbiter in the lunar orbit. Finally, the returner will return to Earth with the samples, marking the end of this 53-day mission as announced by the CNSA.
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