BEIJING: China’s Chang’e-6 probe landed on the far side of the moon on Sunday at 6:23 a.m. Beijing Time, aiming to collect samples from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin within two days, which will be brought back to Earth, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, the lander-ascender combination of the Chang’e-6 probe landed at the designated landing area in the SPA Basin, China Global Television Network (CGTN) reported.

The Chang’e-6 mission has made technological breakthroughs, including lunar retrograde orbit design and control technology. It will go on to complete key tasks such as the intelligent, rapid sampling from the lunar far side and lunar surface take-off, said the CNSA.

The probe of Chang’e-6, which is named after the Chinese moon goddess, consists of an orbiter, a returner, a lander and an ascender. Since its launch on May 3, it has gone through various stages such as Earth-moon transfer, near-moon braking, lunar orbiting and lan
ding descent. The lander-ascender combination separated from the orbiter-returner combination on May 30.

Source: Emirates News Agency