Countdown starts for China’s Chang’e 6 sample mission to far side of moon

Analysis of the samples is expected to give further insight into the history of the moon, Earth and solar system, as well as mark a new chapter of China’s lunar exploration programmes.

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Chang’e 6 will touch down in the Apollo basin, an area of rugged terrain beyond the range of direct communication with the Earth.

Zhu Haiyang, from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, told state broadcaster CCTV on Saturday that the lunar orbit posed “extra high requirements for the launch window”.

The constantly changing relative positions of the Earth and moon meant there was a narrower launch window than, for example, for a low-Earth orbit spacecraft launch.

Zhu said the team used a “narrow window, multiple trajectories” launch strategy to make the most of their chances.

Ge Ping, deputy director at the CNSA’s Lunar Exploration and Space Programme Centre, told CCTV that the mission marked a series of technological advances.

“[Chang’e 6] will make breakthroughs in lunar orbit design and control technology, intelligent sampling technology and take-off and ascent technology on the lunar dark side, and ultimately achieve automatic sampling and return from the lunar dark side,” Ge said.

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The first Chang’e mission lifted off in 2007, sending a probe into lunar orbit. In 2013, Chang’e 3 landed a rover on the near side of the moon and in 2019, Chang’e 4 became the first spacecraft to perform a soft landing on the far side of the moon, delivering the robotic rover Yutu-2 to the surface.

Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency, said on Wednesday that China was on track to put astronauts on the moon by 2030.

Lin said the key components of that mission, such as the Long March 10 rocket, the Mengzhou spacecraft and spacesuits to be used on the lunar surface, were all in development and testing.

The CNSA was working on choosing the lunar rover crew and lunar surface payloads, Lin said.

Meanwhile, the Chang’e 7 mission will launch in 2026. It will consist of an orbiter, a lander, a rover and a small flying probe to fly into pits on the lunar surface to look for ice.