Beijing

China is set to launch its robotic spacecraft Chang'e-6 on Friday (May 3) which will make a round trip and collect samples from the far side of the moon.

Advertisment

Chang'e-6, which is made using the backup spacecraft from the 2020 mission, will gather rocks and soil from the region that has stayed away from the earth's view permanently.

The Chinese spacecraft will rely on the relay satellite that has been recently deployed and in its 53-day mission is orbiting the moon.

The same relay satellite will also back China's future mission, i.e. Chang'e-7 and 8 missions in 2026 and 2028 respectively as Beijing aims to explore the south pole for water and also build a rudimentary outpost with Russia. 

Advertisment

Also read: Dubai: Over a dozen flights cancelled; schools, offices closed amid heavy rain

China to carry payload from Pakistan

On Chang'e-6, China is set to carry payloads from Pakistan along with countries like France, Italy, and Sweden.

Advertisment

Pakistan, from this mission, aims to create a mark in the field of space exploration.

Islamabad-based Institute of Space Technology said that the launch will take place on Friday at 12:50 pm PKT.

×

Chang'e 6 will make an attempt to land on the northeastern side of the vast South Pole-Aitkin Basin, which is also known as the oldest impact crater in the solar system.

The scientists describe the South Pole as the "golden belt" for lunar exploration.

The samples that Chang'e 6 plans to gather from outer space could also help researchers understand the early evolution of the moon and the inner solar system.

The lunar samples in the near past have been collected by the United States and the former Soviet Union in the 1970s and China in 2020.

Those samples were from the moon's near side, where volcanism is said to be far more active.

After making a successful landing, Chang'e-6 plans to collect about 2 kilogrammes (4.4 pounds) of samples with a mechanical scoop and a drill.

"If successful, China's Chang'e-6 mission would be a milestone-making event," Leonard David, author of "Moon Rush: The New Space Race", told news agency Reuters. "The robotic reach to the Moon's far side, and bringing specimens back to Earth, helps fill in the blanks about the still-murky origin of our Moon."

(With inputs from agencies)