Why in the News?
China’s Chang’e-6 has become the first spacecraft to bring back samples from the far side of the Moon — the part that the Earth never gets to see.
The probe landed in northern China on 25th June afternoon in the Inner Mongolian region. It had left earth on May 3, and its journey lasted 53 days. The probe has drilled into the core and scooped rocks from the surface.
What’s in Today’s Article?
- China’s Lunar Mission (Objectives, Mission Details, Significance, etc.)
China’s Lunar Mission:
- China's Chang'e 6 Lunar Mission is part of the China National Space Administration's (CNSA) ambitious lunar exploration program.
- It is a follow-up mission to Chang'e 5, which successfully returned lunar samples to Earth in 2020.
- Objectives:
- Sample Return Mission:
- The primary objective of Chang'e 6 was to collect lunar samples and return them to Earth.
- Technological Demonstration: The mission aims to demonstrate and improve technologies for lunar landing, sampling, and returning to Earth, which are critical for future lunar exploration missions.
- Mission Details:
- Landing Site:
- Chang'e 6 was expected to target the lunar far side for its landing, specifically the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest and oldest impact basins on the Moon.
- This site is scientifically significant due to its unique geological features.
- Spacecraft Components:
- The mission consists of an orbiter, a lander, an ascent vehicle, and a return capsule.
- The orbiter remained in lunar orbit, while the lander will touch down on the Moon's surface to collect samples.
- Sample Collection:
- The lander used a robotic arm and a drill to collect samples from the lunar surface and subsurface.
Significance of Chang'e 6 Lunar Mission:
- A sample return mission, such as Chang’e-6, aims to collect and return samples from extra-terrestrial locations like the Moon or Mars to Earth for analysis.
- Unlike in situ robotic explorations, which use less sophisticated instruments and can only answer certain questions, returned samples allow for detailed examination using sensitive laboratory instruments.
- These analyses can determine the chemical, isotopic, mineralogical, structural, and physical properties of samples, from the macroscopic level down to the atomic scale.
- Samples returned to Earth can be preserved for decades and studied by future generations with more advanced technology, as demonstrated by the Apollo missions' samples.
- India’s Chandrayaan-4, currently under development by ISRO, is also a sample return mission, following Chandrayaan-3's successful landing near the Moon's South Pole.
What Can the Samples Brought by Chang’e-6 Reveal?
- The lunar far side is geologically distinct from the near side, featuring a thicker crust, more craters, and fewer lava plains.
- Scientists are unsure why these differences exist. Analysing samples from the Chang’e-6 mission could provide answers.
- Samples from the South Pole-Aitken basin could reveal the timeline of lunar cratering and insights into the Moon’s history and origins.
- Additionally, these samples could suggest methods for utilizing lunar resources in future exploration, such as using lunar soil for 3D-printed bricks for research bases or harvesting ice at the poles for water, oxygen, and hydrogen, the latter two serving as rocket propellants.
Countries’ Race to the Moon:
- In 2023, India, China, Japan, the US, and Russia launched lunar missions.
- By 2030, more than 100 Moon missions by both governments and private companies are expected, according to the European Space Agency.
- Countries such as China and the US also want to put astronauts on the Moon by 2030.
- The success of Chang’e-6 is seen as an important step towards achieving this goal by China.
