BEIJING, China: China’s Chang’e-6 probe touched down on the far side of the moon, initiating the first-ever sample collection mission in human history from this unexplored terrain, announced the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
At 6:23 a.m Sunday (Beijing Time), the Chang’e-6 probe’s lander-ascender combo successfully landed at the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin’s planned area with the help of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite.
Chang’e-6, comprising an orbiter, a returner, a lander, and an ascender, commenced its mission stages since its May 3 launch, including Earth-moon transfer, lunar orbiting, and landing descent. The lander-ascender combination, separating from the orbiter-returner combination on May 30, underwent a powered descent with variable thrust, guided by an autonomous visual obstacle avoidance system.
The mission achieved a breakthrough in lunar retrograde orbit design and control technology, with aims to realize intelligent and rapid sampling, takeoff, and ascent from the moon’s far side.
