Chang'e 6 Mission to Include European Science Instruments

Chang'e 6 Mission to Include European Science Instruments
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 10, 2024

China's Chang'e 6 lunar mission is set to carry significant European scientific instruments, adding a layer of international collaboration to its ambitious objectives. The mission aims to collect samples from the less-explored lunar far side, a feat not yet accomplished by previous missions.

The China National Space Administration highlights the inclusion of three European payloads. A radon measurement device from France's national space agency aims to assess lunar dust movement and volatile chemicals in the moon's regolith and exosphere. An Italian laser retroreflector, crafted by Italy's National Institute for Nuclear Physics, will serve as a range-finder for the Chang'e 6 lander. Lastly, the Swedish Institute of Space Physics, with support from the European Space Agency, will deploy a novel negative ion detector to examine ions released by solar wind interactions with the lunar surface.

The selection process was competitive, with more than 20 proposals submitted by various international bodies vying to contribute to this unprecedented mission. Successful contributions from France, Italy, and Sweden underscore the intense interest and potential scientific advancements that the mission promises.

Yang Yuguang, a space industry expert and vice-chair of the International Astronautical Federation's Space Transportation Committee, commented on the trend of sharing spacecraft capacity for international science payloads, noting that such cooperation enhances the scientific yield of missions.

China's longstanding space collaboration with Europe has yielded mutual benefits, as illustrated by their joint efforts during the Tianwen 1 Mars mission. This ongoing partnership is expected to deepen with the Chang'e 6 mission, which Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, describes as a milestone for European planetary science.

The mission is scheduled for launch aboard a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Center, Hainan. Following its predecessors' blueprint, Chang'e 6 comprises an orbiter, lander, ascender, and reentry module. After surface operations, the ascender will rendezvous with the orbiter to transfer moon samples for return to Earth.

This mission not only continues China's lunar exploration endeavors but also represents a significant step in collecting and studying samples from the moon's far side, a region previously unvisited by surface missions until Chang'e 4's historic landing in 2019.

Based on a Xinhua News Agency article