China has successfully landed a spacecraft on the dark side of the Moon for the second time, with plans to collect rock samples from the oldest known depression on the lunar surface. The Chang’e 6 lander touched down in the northeast area of the Antarctic Depression – Aitken with the help of the Thuoc Kieu 2 relay satellite, as announced by China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) on June 2. This mission has achieved several technological breakthroughs, including the ability to design and control a retrograde orbit on the Moon.
The Chang’e 6 spacecraft will carry out key activities such as collecting samples from dark areas of the Moon and taking off from the lunar surface. International instruments designed by the European Space Agency and the French Radon Detector will soon be put to use. The lander will use its robotic arm to drill and scoop material from the surface, aiming to collect samples weighing 2 kg. These samples will provide valuable insights into the history of the Moon once they are brought back to Earth for analysis.
The spacecraft was launched from
