China's Chang'e 6 Lunar Mission

What was the first task performed by the Chang'e 6 lander upon its arrival at the Moon's far side?

What is the South Pole-Aitken basin known for?

How deep is the South Pole-Aitken basin?

Which material was used to make the national flag planted by the Chang'e 6 lander?

What celestial body does the Chang'e 6 probe specifically explore?

What was the primary purpose of the Chang'e 6 mission?

Which of the following locations did the Chang'e 6 capsule land?

What is one expected discovery from the lunar samples collected by Chang'e 6?

What future mission is planned to follow Chang'e 6?

What amount of lunar material did the Chang'e 6 capsule carry back to Earth?

China's Chang'e 6 Lunar Mission

China's Chang'e 6 lunar probe successfully retrieved soil samples from the Moon's far side on June 25, 2024.
This is the first time materials have been returned from this unexplored region of the Moon.
Chang'e 6 launched from Hainan province, South China, on May 3, 2024.
The spacecraft landed in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, one of the largest and oldest impact craters in the solar system.
The lander planted a Chinese flag made of basalt, a lunar material.
Chang'e 6 used a drill and robotic arm to collect rock and soil samples before returning to Earth.
The samples were retrieved from a capsule that landed in Inner Mongolia on June 25, 2024.
Approximately 4 pounds (2 kg) of lunar material was brought back to Earth.

Sample Distribution and Analysis

A portion of the samples will be kept by Chinese officials.
The remaining samples will be distributed to researchers in China and globally for analysis.

Expected Discoveries

Scientists believe the samples will provide insights into the evolution of the Moon's far side.
The samples could explain differences between the near and far sides of the Moon.
The samples may provide information about the early history of the solar system.

Future Missions

China plans to explore the Moon's south pole.
Upcoming uncrewed missions, Chang'e 7 (2026) and Chang'e 8 (2028), will search for water and other resources in the south pole region.
Future plans include crewed missions to the Moon in 2030 and the establishment of a permanent south pole base.

Explore the details of China's Chang'e 6 lunar probe, which successfully retrieved samples from the Moon's far side. Launched on May 3, 2024, this mission marks a significant achievement in lunar exploration. Learn about the mission's landing, sample collection, and distribution for global analysis.