Spacecraft

June 6, 2024 3:32 PM

China’s Chang’e-6 transfers moon samples to spacecraft, set for return to Earth

China's Chang'e-6 probe transferred samples it collected from the moon's far side to a spacecraft in lunar orbit on Thursday, state news agency Xinhua reported. After receiving the samples, the uncrewed spacecraft will fly back to Earth, with an expected landing in China's Inner Mongolia region on June 25. If successful, China will be the first country to ever return lunar matter from the side of the moon that permanently faces away from Earth. The Chang'e-6 probe took off from the moon's far ...

China launches historic mission to retrieve samples from the far side of the moon

China on Friday launched an uncrewed spacecraft on a nearly two-month mission to retrieve rocks and soil from the far side of the moon, the first country to make such an ambitious attempt. The Long March-5, China's largest rocket, blasted off at 5:27 p.m. Beijing time from Wenchang Space Launch Center on the southern island of Hainan with the more than 8 metric ton Chang'e-6 probe. Chang'e-6 is tasked with landing in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon, which perpetually fa...