Pre-launch: China Chang'e-6 Sample Return Mission to Moon's Far Side South Pole

Pre-launch: China Chang'e-6 Sample Return Mission to Moon's Far Side South Pole

Chang'e-6 lunar probe is to be launched on Friday, May 3, 2024, said the China National Space Administration on Wednesday. The lunar probe will be sent to the Earth-Moon transfer orbit by a Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket. This will be the second time for a carrier rocket of the Long March-5 series to carry out the launch mission of China's lunar exploration program (CLEP).

In 2020, Chang'e 5 was the first lunar sample-return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. The mission made China the third country to return samples from the Moon after the United States and the Soviet Union.

The probe will take samples on the far side of the Moon and bring them back to Earth in a world-first.

Considering factors like the Earth-Moon positional relationship, engineers have designed 10 trajectories for the two 50-minute windows, each on Friday and Saturday, to ensure the probe's arrival in the Moon.

Now all systems for the launch mission have undergone the last comprehensive rehearsal, and propellant will be injected into the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket.

Image Credits: China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Image Dates: April 26-May 1, 2024

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