A Chinese probe has landed on the far side of the moon to collect rare samples

a Chinese spaceship without pilot Real estate On Sunday, June 2 at Hidden face Subordinate moonas reported Chinese space agencyWhich represents a second a task To a lunar region where no other country has landed, amid increasing… International competition About the space exploration.

If successful, this will be the first mission ever Sample collection From the hidden side of the moon.

the China National Space Administration Send inquiry Moon Chang’e 6 To collect rocks and other materials near and around an archaeological pit, which is called Apollo basinwhich is part of Greater Antarctic-Aitken Basin The moon, according to the country’s official news agency. Xinhua.

he Zhang 6 landed in 6:23 In the morning, local time, after its launch into space May 3, 2024 from Wenchang Space Launch Centerlocated in Southern Hainan Island. In Chinese mythology, It changes Do Moon goddess.

China, United State, Japan, India And Russia It has made significant investments in space exploration In recent years, the field that has been heralded throughout history as a symbol has become crowded Can And the National progress.

to China And United StateIn particular, Competition On the frontiers of science in space; Both countries aspire to get the prize for sending people into the world moon For the second time in history with United State Plan to do this as soon as possible 2026 And China Self-planning 2030. (United State It was the first country to land on the moon with this mission Apollo 11 in 1969).

the Hidden side of the moon It is the lunar hemisphere that always faces the opposite direction to the sun Land. The word “darkness” does not refer to the absence of light, but to the fact that it is Scientists They know very little about this hemisphere.

Astronauts on mission Apollo 8 They were the first to see the side dark in 1968and the Changhe 4 He made the first landing in history there January 2019.

the Communications It is more difficult on the far side because radio waves are blocked by thick, hard rock, forcing scientists to use… Satellite broadcast to send signals to the spacecraft and work with a shorter sample collection window. he Rugged terrain It also makes landing difficult.

It is expected that Zhang 6 Some late 15 hours in Sample collection. To fit this short time frame, scientists at CNSA They developed Space ship So that it can make independent decisions by executing fewer commands than in previous missions, according to the American “space” website. Xinhua.

he Task topic It is development technology Sampling switch, plus take-off and climb-from capabilities Hidden side of the moonhe added Xinhua.

(c) 2024, The Washington Post