HELSINKI – China is gearing up for future deep space missions as it has recovered nearly two kilograms of lunar samples from the far side of the moon.
The Chang’e-6 capsule landed back on Earth on June 25, successfully ending its 53-day mission. The capsule was recovered on schedule in the Siziwang Banner grasslands, Inner Mongolia.
The capsule was flown to Beijing and opened on June 26 to retrieve the sample container. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on Friday that it contained 1,935.3 grams of samples.
The aim of the mission was to collect up to 2000 grams. The nearby Chang’e-5 spin-off mission in 2020 collected 1,731 grams. This mission encountered a drilling issue that affected the amount selected.
The National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences will unseal the sample container next time. The NAOC then prepares the samples obtained by drilling and surface prospecting and packages them for storage.
Domestic scientific research institutions are expected to be able to apply for samples after six months. The samples will be opened for international applications two years later, in accordance with the CNSA’s Lunar Sample Management Regulations.
Ge Ping, a CNSA spokesman, said the samples are stickier and more compact than previous monthly samples.
Mysteries of the South Pole – Aitken
According to a 2023 document on the target landing area, the samples are expected to “answer questions about the multiple dichotomies on the near- and far-side of the Moon and provide new insights into the early history of Solar System impacts and geological evolution. months.”
“Samples collected from the South Pole-Aitken Basin can be very different from samples collected from the front side, which contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the geological history of the Moon,” Li Chunlai, deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission, said during a press conference in Beijing on June 27.
How revealing the samples will be remains to be seen. “There is no doubt that the return of samples from the far side will yield unique insights into the nature of the Moon’s evolution. And the fact that they just landed safely on Earth is a remarkable achievement for China,” said Clive Neal, a professor and lunar scientist at the University of Notre Dame. SpaceNews.
However, Neal notes that the landing site is one of the oldest terranes on the moon. Material from the South Pole-Aitken impact—a vast basin created by a huge, ancient impact of great scientific interest—is likely to be diluted, obscured, and redistributed by later geological processing.
“Whether they definitively prove the age of the Aitken Basin at the South Pole or define the first mantle sample returned from the Moon remains to be seen, but these samples will unravel mysteries in the coming decades, just as the Apollo samples did.
Deep space missions await us
CNSA officials said Thursday that its second Tianwen mission is scheduled to begin in 2025. Tianwen-2 is a combined mission to return an asteroid sample and rendezvous with a comet. It is currently scheduled to launch on a Long March 3B rocket in May 2025.
The mission will focus on the near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, collect samples and return to Earth approximately 2.5 years after launch. The spacecraft will deliver samples and then head for the main belt comet 311P/PANSTARRS.
It was also reiterated that the third and fourth Tianwen missions will launch around 2030. These are the return of the Tianwen-3 Mars sample and the Tianwen-4 Jupiter mission. This will currently include a Jupiter solar orbiter and a smaller, radioisotope-powered spacecraft for a flyby of Uranus.
Bian Zhigang, deputy administrator of the CNSA, said China will also implement major national science and technology projects and programs in the field of aerospace. These include heavy launch vehicles and reusable space transportation systems. In addition, China aims to strengthen basic research, accelerate research and development of key key technologies, and promote innovative development in space science, space technology and space applications.
Another mission to the mooncooperation
Next on the moon, China is preparing for the Chang’e-7 mission to the moon’s south pole, which is expected to target Shackleton Crater. It will be supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite that facilitated the Chang’e-6 mission.
CNSA released an opportunity announcement in late 2023 for its 2028 Chang’e-8 lunar south pole mission. 200 kilograms of payload is available for international cooperation. CNSA announced Thursday that it has received more than 30 letters of intent regarding mission collaboration.
It was also reported that CNSA has signed cooperation documents with more than 10 countries regarding the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The countries were not named. The SpaceNews report lists 10 countries in addition to China.
Asked about cooperation with the United States, Bian said the US should remove obstacles. He especially noted the so-called Wolf’s amendment.
“If the US side sincerely hopes to carry out a normal space exchange with China, it must take practical measures to remove obstacles. As for China’s future space plans, they will be carried out at China’s own pace for peaceful use. We always strive to develop equal and mutually beneficial cooperation in an open and inclusive approach,” said Bian.