Chang'e 6 Lunar Mission Overview

What significant event occurred on June 25, 2024, regarding China's Chang'e 6 lunar probe?

How deep is the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, where Chang'e 6 landed?

What material was used to make China's national flag planted on the Moon?

What was the approximate weight of the lunar materials collected by Chang'e 6?

Which future missions are planned by China to explore the Moon's south pole?

What major differences are scientists hoping to understand by analyzing the lunar samples?

What is the projected timeline for sending crewed missions to the Moon?

The Chang'e 6 spacecraft is named after which figure?

Chang'e 6 Lunar Mission

Chang'e 6 successfully returned lunar soil samples from the Moon's far side on June 25, 2024, a first.
The spacecraft, named after the Chinese Moon goddess, launched from Hainan province on May 3, 2024 and landed at the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin on June 2, 2024.
The SPA basin is a large, ancient impact crater located on the Moon's far side (approximately 1,600 miles (2,500 km) wide and 5 miles (8 km) deep).
The lander deployed a 12 by 8 inch (300 mm by 200 mm) basalt flag.
Samples were collected via a drill and robotic arm.
The returned samples weigh approximately four pounds (two kg).
The return capsule landed in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia.
The samples will be analyzed by researchers in China and internationally.

Scientific Implications

The samples are expected to provide insights into the Moon's far side evolution and the differences between near and far sides.
Potential implications for the early Solar System are possible.
The analysis could reveal information about the Moon's formation.

Future Missions

China plans to explore the Moon's south pole with uncrewed missions: Chang'e 7 (launching in 2026) and Chang'e 8 (launching in 2028) to search for water and resources.
Crewed missions to the moon are planned for 2030 with a possible permanent base at the south pole.

Explore the groundbreaking Chang'e 6 mission, which successfully returned lunar soil samples from the Moon's far side in June 2024. Discover the mission's objectives, the scientific implications of the samples, and the technology used to collect them. This quiz delves into the significance of the findings for lunar evolution and the early Solar System.