Advertisement
Science
ChinaScience

China’s next space mission set to reveal secrets from the far side of the moon

  • Chang’e 6, the next mission in China’s moon programme, is on schedule for launch in 2024, space agency says
  • Spacecraft will carry science payloads and satellites from four countries, and will return more moon rocks to Earth

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
24
China’s space agency says the aim of the Chang’e 6 mission is to discover and collect lunar samples from different regions and ages to learn more about the moon. Photo: Reuters
Holly Chik
China’s next lunar mission – Chang’e 6 – remains on schedule to launch next year on a mission that will see the lander return samples from the far side of the moon to Earth, while hauling payloads from the European Space Agency and Pakistan.
Advertisement

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) also posted on its Weibo account on Friday that the Queqiao 2 communications relay satellite is on course to launch in the first half of 2024.

The spacecraft will enable communications between the Earth and the probe, which will land on the side of the moon that permanently faces away from our planet.

“The past 10 lunar sampling missions in human history have been on the near side of the moon,” the CNSA said.

“The far side is relatively older and is home to the Aitken Basin, one of the three major lunar landforms with valuable research potential.”

The CNSA said the aim of the mission is to discover and collect lunar samples from different regions and ages to learn more about the moon.

Advertisement

“To enhance international cooperation, the Chang’e 6 mission will carry payloads and satellites from four countries,” the CNSA said in its post.

03:01

Russia’s first lunar mission in 47 years fails as spacecraft Luna-25 crashes into the moon’s surface

Russia’s first lunar mission in 47 years fails as spacecraft Luna-25 crashes into the moon’s surface
Advertisement