The mission will use lunar research payloads from several nations, including Pakistan's iCube Qamar satellite, to investigate the moon's "dark side."
The Institute of Space Technology (IST) announced on Tuesday that Chang'e-6 will carry Pakistan's “historic” lunar module, iCube-Q, which was created by IST in association with Shanghai University (SJTU) in China and Suparco, the country's space agency.
The Institute of Space Technology (IST) announced on Tuesday that Chang'e-6 will carry Pakistan's “historic” lunar module, iCube-Q, which was created by IST in association with Shanghai University (SJTU) in China and Suparco, the country's space agency.
Chang'e, the mission name, is derived from the name of a legendary Chinese moon goddess.
Chang'e-6 intends to retrieve two kilogrammes of lunar material from the Moon's far side and return it to Earth for examination. It was praised by the official Chinese news agency Xinhua as "the first endeavour of its kind in the history of human lunar exploration."
Ge Ping, vice director of China's Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Centre, informed journalists that Chang'e-6 would be gathering samples from the Moon's far side for the first time.
Chang'e-6 intends to retrieve two kilogrammes of lunar material from the Moon's far side and return it to Earth for examination. It was praised by the official Chinese news agency Xinhua as "the first endeavour of its kind in the history of human lunar exploration."
Ge Ping, vice director of China's Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Centre, informed journalists that Chang'e-6 would be gathering samples from the Moon's far side for the first time.
In the next few days, China will launch a robotic spacecraft on the first of three technically challenging missions to the moon's far side, which would prepare the way for the country's first crewed landing and establishment of a station on the lunar south pole.
One of the largest known impact craters in the solar system, the vast South Pole-Aitken Basin, is where the probe is scheduled to land. Once there, it will conduct additional tests in the landing zone and gather rocks and soil from the moon.
One of the largest known impact craters in the solar system, the vast South Pole-Aitken Basin, is where the probe is scheduled to land. Once there, it will conduct additional tests in the landing zone and gather rocks and soil from the moon.
In order to complete its 53-day mission, which includes a previously untried ascent from the moon's "hidden" side on the way back home, Chang'e-6 must rely on a recently launched relay satellite orbiting the moon because it has no direct line of sight with Mother Nature.
China is carrying payloads from France, Italy, Sweden, and Pakistan on Chang'e-6, while Russia, Switzerland, and Thailand will be carrying payloads on Chang'e-7, which is scheduled to launch in 2026.
US law prohibits NASA from working directly or indirectly with China.
The US astronauts will arrive close to the south pole in 2026 as part of the independent NASA-led Artemis initiative, becoming the first people to set foot on the moon since 1972.
China is carrying payloads from France, Italy, Sweden, and Pakistan on Chang'e-6, while Russia, Switzerland, and Thailand will be carrying payloads on Chang'e-7, which is scheduled to launch in 2026.
US law prohibits NASA from working directly or indirectly with China.
The US astronauts will arrive close to the south pole in 2026 as part of the independent NASA-led Artemis initiative, becoming the first people to set foot on the moon since 1972.
iCube Qamar
Two optical cameras are carried by the ICUBE-Q orbiter to take pictures of the lunar surface. The module is a cube satellite, or CubeSat. CubeSats are tiny spacecraft that are defined by a uniform cubic design and compact size.
Owing to their small size and very low cost in comparison to conventional satellites, CubeSats provided universities, research centres, and commercial organisations with chances to take part in space missions and collect important data for innovation and scientific advancement.
Owing to their small size and very low cost in comparison to conventional satellites, CubeSats provided universities, research centres, and commercial organisations with chances to take part in space missions and collect important data for innovation and scientific advancement.
Beijing’s “space dream”
China's "space dream" has accelerated under President Xi Jinping's direction.
Over the past ten years, Beijing has made significant investments in its space programme with the goal of achieving a number of lofty goals and catching up to the two established space powers, Russia and the United States.
The nation has accomplished a number of noteworthy feats, one of them being the construction of the space station Tiangong, or "heavenly palace," to which it just dispatched a new crew of three astronauts.
Beijing became the third nation to send astronauts into orbit on its own when it successfully placed robotic rovers on Mars and the moon. By 2030, China wants to deploy a crewed expedition to the moon and establish a lunar base as well.
Over the past ten years, Beijing has made significant investments in its space programme with the goal of achieving a number of lofty goals and catching up to the two established space powers, Russia and the United States.
The nation has accomplished a number of noteworthy feats, one of them being the construction of the space station Tiangong, or "heavenly palace," to which it just dispatched a new crew of three astronauts.
Beijing became the third nation to send astronauts into orbit on its own when it successfully placed robotic rovers on Mars and the moon. By 2030, China wants to deploy a crewed expedition to the moon and establish a lunar base as well.
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