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Countdown starts for China’s Chang’e 6 sample mission to the far side of the moon
- Lunar lander designed to be the first to bring materials back from the surface that faces away from Earth
- Spacecraft expected to touch down in the rugged Apollo basin beyond direct communication with ground stations
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Xinlu Liangin Beijing
China’s Chang’e 6 robotic mission to bring back samples from the far side of the moon for the first time is expected to lift off this week as the country takes another step in its ambitions to put a person on the lunar surface by 2030.
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The China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Saturday that the Chang’e 6 lunar probe and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket combination had been transported to the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province for final tests and loading of propellant.
The mission, set to launch in early May, will be the world’s first attempt to collect samples from the side of the moon that faces away from the Earth.
The lander will collect about 2kg (4.4lbs) of samples, compared to 1.731kg brought back by Chang’e 5 in 2020.
Analysis of the samples is expected to give further insight into the history of the moon, Earth and solar system, as well as mark a new chapter of China’s lunar exploration programmes.
Chang’e 6 will touch down in the Apollo basin, an area of rugged terrain beyond the range of direct communication with the Earth.
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