China's Chang'e-6 Mission Advances: Carrier Rocket Arrives for Upcoming Lunar Launch

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China's Chang'e-6 Mission Advances: Carrier Rocket Arrives for Upcoming Lunar Launch

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China's Chang'e-6 Mission Advances: Carrier Rocket Arrives for Upcoming Lunar Launch
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Mar 18, 2024

The Long March 5 heavy-lift carrier rocket, designated for the Chang'e 6 lunar mission, has reached the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed. This development marks a significant step toward the launch, scheduled for the first half of this year.

The assembly and subsequent ground tests of the rocket with the Chang'e 6 probe are set to commence at the coastal launch complex, with CNSA noting that preparations for the mission are progressing smoothly.

Chang'e 6, composed of an orbiter, lander, ascender, and re-entry module, aims to perform a pioneering sample collection mission on the moon's far side, particularly within the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Success in this mission would mark the first-ever collection of samples from this largely unexplored lunar region.

To support the mission's communication needs, CNSA plans to deploy Queqiao 2, a new relay satellite, into lunar orbit in the upcoming months. This satellite will facilitate data transmission between Chang'e 6 and Earth.

China's previous lunar endeavor, the Chang'e 4 mission, made history in January 2019 by becoming the first to land on the moon's far side, deploying the Yutu 2 rover to explore the South Pole-Aitken Basin.

Based on a Xinhua News Agency article

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