“In a significant milestone for its space exploration endeavors, China is poised to launch a groundbreaking mission on Friday from Wenchang, aiming to retrieve samples from the previously unexplored far side of the Moon. This pioneering effort marks a world first and underscores Beijing’s commitment to its ambitious space program, which includes plans for a crewed lunar mission by the year 2030.”
“A rocket is primed to lift off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center located in the southern province of Hainan, China, shortly before 5:30 pm (0930 GMT) on Friday. Laden with the Chang’e-6 lunar probe, this mission represents a significant leap forward in China’s space exploration agenda. The launch site, chosen for its strategic advantages, is set to witness the historic departure of the rocket as it embarks on a journey to explore and gather samples from the enigmatic far side of the Moon.”
“This latest achievement underscores China’s ongoing commitment to its ambitious space program, representing a notable advancement in its quest for scientific exploration beyond Earth’s bounds. However, amidst China’s strides in space, Washington has voiced concerns, cautioning that Beijing may be leveraging its space initiatives to conceal military intentions and assert dominance beyond our planet’s confines. This juxtaposition of scientific progress and geopolitical scrutiny adds a layer of complexity to China’s space endeavors, as it navigates both the frontiers of exploration and the realms of international relations.”
The Chang’e-6 aims to collect around two kilograms of lunar samples from the far side of the Moon and bring them back to Earth for analysis.
It is a technically complex 53-day mission that will also see it attempt an unprecedented launch from the side of the Moon that always faces away from Earth.
“Chang’e-6 will collect samples from the far side of the Moon for the first time,” Ge Ping, vice director of China’s Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, told journalists.
The probe is set to land in the immense South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system. Once there, it will scoop up lunar soil and rocks, and carry out other experiments in the landing zone.
It must then lift off from the Moon’s surface and retrace its steps back home.Plans for China’s “space dream” have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping. Beijing has ploughed huge resources into its space programme over the last decade, targeting a string of ambitious undertakings in an effort to close the gap with the two traditional space powers — the United States and Russia.
The country has notched several notable achievements, including building a space station called Tiangong, or “heavenly palace”, to which it sent a fresh crew of three astronauts last month.
Beijing has landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon, making China only the third country to put humans in orbit independently.
China aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the lunar surface.
The United States is also planning to put astronauts back on the Moon by 2026 with its Artemis 3 mission. The rapid advance of China’s space programme has raised alarm bells in Washington, with the head of NASA warning last month that the US was now in a “race” against Beijing.
“We believe that a lot of their so-called civilian space program is a military program,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson told lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
