China expands its lunar research
On 3 May 2024, China marked a new milestone in its ambitious space history with the launch of the Chang’e-6 mission, its most ambitious lunar mission to date. This groundbreaking attempt to collect rock samples from the far side of the moon represents a first in the history of space exploration and highlights China’s growing technological prowess in the international space race.
Chang’e 6: A mission of superlatives
The Chang’e-6 mission follows a series of successful lunar missions by China, including the Chang’e-5 return mission in 2020, which brought back rock samples from the Earth-facing side of the Moon, and Chang’e-4, which was the first probe to land on the far side of the Moon in 2019. Chang’e-6 aims to surpass these successes by collecting samples from the Aitken Basin at the Moon’s South Pole, a region highly valued by scientists for its unique geological features and importance for research.
The Aitken Basin, the moon’s largest and oldest impact crater, offers a potentially valuable insight into the moon’s early geological processes and possibly the history of the solar system due to its extreme depth and size.
Technical challenges and international cooperation
The technical challenge of landing a probe on the far side of the Moon is considerable, as direct communication with the Earth is not possible there. China has already overcome this problem with the Chang’e-4 mission by using a relay satellite to enable communication between the probe and Earth. These technological advances emphasise China’s growing ability to carry out complex space operations.
In addition, the inclusion of instruments and equipment from France, Italy, Sweden and Pakistan in the Chang’e-6 mission demonstrates China’s willingness to engage in international space co-operation. These co-operations can be seen as a strategic move that not only expands China’s technological reach but also strengthens its diplomatic relations.
Comparison with other space programmes
Compared to other national space programmes, such as those of the US, Russia and the European Space Agency, which have also conducted significant lunar missions, China is setting new standards in terms of lunar backside exploration with Chang’e-6. While NASA’s Artemis programme aims to put astronauts on the moon by 2024 and establish a permanent presence on the moon in the long term, China is focusing on robotic missions that collect scientific data and expand the country’s technological capacity.
Outlook and significance
The Chang’e-6 mission not only emphasises China’s ambitions and capabilities in space exploration, but could also have a profound impact on our understanding of the Moon and the early solar system. Analysing the samples collected will potentially provide new information about the formation of the Moon and conditions in the early solar system.
By conducting such technologically advanced and scientifically valuable missions, China is firmly positioning itself as a leading force in the global space community. These developments could inspire future missions and have a lasting impact on the way international co-operation and competition in space is shaped.
