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Chang'e 6 is a lunar lander and sample return mission targeting the far side of the Moon within the South Pole Aitken Basin. It launched on May 3, 2024 at 09:27 UT (5:27 a.m. EDT, 5:27 p.m. Beijing Time), on a Long March 5 booster from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center. The spacecraft comprises four modules, a service module, lander, ascent vehicle, and reentry capsule, and has a launch mass of 8200 kg and a landed mass of roughly 3200 kg.
Chang'e 6 reached the Moon and went into a 200 x (approximately) 380,000 km altitude lunar orbit on May 8 at 02:21 UT. It slowly circularized the orbit over time. It also released the ICUBE-Q cubesat into lunar orbit on May 8. Chang'e 6 orbited for 20 days to find an appropriate landing site, somewhere within the south Apollo crater, 41-45 degrees S, 150-158 degrees W. Landing is expected to take place on June 2 at 00:05 UT (8:05 a.m. Beijing time).
nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov...
Chinese scientists anticipate the returned samples will include 2.5-million-year-old volcanic rock and other material that they hope will answer questions about geographic differences on the moon's two sides.
The moon's near side - which always faces the Earth - is flatter and has fewer impact craters. The far side always faces outer space.
news.sky.com...