After 53 days of missionthe Chinese probe Chang’e-6 returned this Tuesday to the Land with the first samples of the history of the hidden side of the Moonan achievement that will allow us to better understand the history of the satellite.
The missionmarked by great technical complexity, particularly in matters of communication, is one of the most ambitious ever executed by China in the space.
“At 2:07 p.m. (06:07 GMT), the return module Chang’e-6 landed in a desert area in the region of Inner Mongoliain the north of Chinaand “everything is working normally,” the company said in a statement. Chinese space agency CNSA.
“This marks the complete success of the mission,” and is above all “the first return to Earth of samples from the far side of the Moon,” the agency congratulated itself.
The capsule slowly descended thanks to a red and white parachute, before touching down gently next to a flag. China planted at his side, according to images broadcast by state television CCTV.
The hidden side of the Moon It is a little explored area, and it is known with this formula because it is invisible from the Land.
It has the peculiarity that its craters are not as covered by ancient lava flows as those on the side closest to our planet.
Earth and rocks extracted by the probe Chang’e-6 They are very promising for research, since they will allow us to know more about the formation and history of this Earth satellite.
The probe was propelled into space on May 3 from the Wenchang launch centerin the southern province of Hainan.
About a month later it landed in the basin of the South Pole-Aitkenone of the largest known impact craters in the solar system, located on the far side of the Moon.
On June 4, the probe successfully took off from the Moon with the samples taken.
The device used two collection methods: a drill to extract samples from below the surface and a robotic arm to take more material.this time on the surface.
Likewise, he took photographs of the lunar surface and planted a flag Chinared and yellow, on the gray ground of the far side of the satellite.
China has considerably developed its space programs for about three decades, injecting billions of dollars into the sector to reach USA, Russia and Europe.
In 2019, the Asian country placed a device on the hidden side of the Moon, in what was then a world first. In 2020 she brought samples of the visible face of the Moon and completed his system Beidou satellite navigation.
In 2021, the Asian giant also sent a small robot to Mars.
China hopes to launch its first manned mission to the Moon between now and 2030, and plans to build a lunar base.
The United States is engaged in open rivalry with China over lunar programs. Washington plans to send astronauts to the Moon from now to 2026 with its mission Artemis 3.
(AFP)
