NEW DELHI: China is gearing up to put a robotic spacecraft on a mission to the dark side of the moon . This mission is the first of three challenging missions that will eventually lead to a Chinese crewed landing and the establishment of a base on the lunar South pole .
Since the initial Chang'e mission, which took place in 2007 and was named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess, China has significantly progressed in its exploration of the moon, bridging the technological gap with the United States and Russia.
In 2020, China retrieved samples from the near side of the moon. This marked the first sample retrieval in over four decades and confirmed its ability to safely bring an unmanned spacecraft back to Earth from the lunar surface.
This week, China plans to send Chang'e-6 to the moon's far side using the backup spacecraft from the 2020 mission to gather soil and rocks.
Chang'e-6 must depend on a relay satellite orbiting the moon for communication with Earth, as it embarks on its 53-day mission. The mission also includes a novel ascent from the moon's 'hidden' side during the return journey.
Beijing's plans for the polar regions have also caused concern for Nasa. The administrator of Nasa, Bill Nelson, has issued multiple warnings that China may assert ownership over any water resources. Beijing says it remains committed to cooperation with all nations on building a "shared' future.
China will carry payloads from France, Italy, Sweden, and Pakistan on Chang'e-6. Additionally, payloads from Russia, Switzerland, and Thailand will be carried on Chang'e-7.
Nasa is prohibited by United States law from collaborating, either directly or indirectly, with China.
US astronauts will land near the south pole in 2026 under the separate NASA-led Artemis programme. They will be the first humans on the moon since 1972.
"International cooperation is key (to lunar exploration )," Clive Neal, professor of planetary geology at the University of Notre Dame, told Reuters. "It's just that China and the US aren't cooperating right now. I hope that will happen."
The ambitions related to the South Pole
Chang'e 6 will try to touch down on the northeastern side of the huge South Pole-Aitkin Basin, which is the oldest recognized impact crater in the solar system.
The southernmost landing ever was conducted in February by IM-1, which was a collaborative mission between NASA and the Texas-based private company Intuitive Machines.
The south pole has been described by scientists as the "golden belt' for lunar exploration.
Polar ice has the potential to support research bases for extended periods without the need for costly resources brought from Earth. India's Chandrayaan-1, launched in 2008, verified the presence of ice within polar craters.
Chang'e-6's sample return could also provide more information about the early development of the moon and the inner solar system.
The lack of volcanic activity on the moon's far side means there are more craters not covered by ancient lava flows, preserving materials from the moon's early formation.
So far, all lunar samples collected by the United States, the former Soviet Union in the 1970s, and China in 2020 were obtained from the near side of the moon, where volcanic activity had been more intense.
"If successful, China's Chang'e-6 mission would be a milestone-making event," Leonard David, author of "Moon Rush: The New Space Race', told Reuters. "The robotic reach to the Moon's far side, and bringing specimens back to Earth, helps fill in the blanks about the still-murky origin of our Moon."
Since the initial Chang'e mission, which took place in 2007 and was named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess, China has significantly progressed in its exploration of the moon, bridging the technological gap with the United States and Russia.
In 2020, China retrieved samples from the near side of the moon. This marked the first sample retrieval in over four decades and confirmed its ability to safely bring an unmanned spacecraft back to Earth from the lunar surface.
This week, China plans to send Chang'e-6 to the moon's far side using the backup spacecraft from the 2020 mission to gather soil and rocks.
Chang'e-6 must depend on a relay satellite orbiting the moon for communication with Earth, as it embarks on its 53-day mission. The mission also includes a novel ascent from the moon's 'hidden' side during the return journey.
Beijing's plans for the polar regions have also caused concern for Nasa. The administrator of Nasa, Bill Nelson, has issued multiple warnings that China may assert ownership over any water resources. Beijing says it remains committed to cooperation with all nations on building a "shared' future.
China will carry payloads from France, Italy, Sweden, and Pakistan on Chang'e-6. Additionally, payloads from Russia, Switzerland, and Thailand will be carried on Chang'e-7.
Nasa is prohibited by United States law from collaborating, either directly or indirectly, with China.
US astronauts will land near the south pole in 2026 under the separate NASA-led Artemis programme. They will be the first humans on the moon since 1972.
"International cooperation is key (to lunar exploration )," Clive Neal, professor of planetary geology at the University of Notre Dame, told Reuters. "It's just that China and the US aren't cooperating right now. I hope that will happen."
The ambitions related to the South Pole
Chang'e 6 will try to touch down on the northeastern side of the huge South Pole-Aitkin Basin, which is the oldest recognized impact crater in the solar system.
The southernmost landing ever was conducted in February by IM-1, which was a collaborative mission between NASA and the Texas-based private company Intuitive Machines.
The south pole has been described by scientists as the "golden belt' for lunar exploration.
Polar ice has the potential to support research bases for extended periods without the need for costly resources brought from Earth. India's Chandrayaan-1, launched in 2008, verified the presence of ice within polar craters.
Chang'e-6's sample return could also provide more information about the early development of the moon and the inner solar system.
The lack of volcanic activity on the moon's far side means there are more craters not covered by ancient lava flows, preserving materials from the moon's early formation.
So far, all lunar samples collected by the United States, the former Soviet Union in the 1970s, and China in 2020 were obtained from the near side of the moon, where volcanic activity had been more intense.
"If successful, China's Chang'e-6 mission would be a milestone-making event," Leonard David, author of "Moon Rush: The New Space Race', told Reuters. "The robotic reach to the Moon's far side, and bringing specimens back to Earth, helps fill in the blanks about the still-murky origin of our Moon."
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