2024-05-03 16:09:05
Beijing: China on Friday launched a mission to collect samples from the far side of the Moon, stepping up its space race against the US. For this, the Chinese space agency successfully launched the Chang’e-6 robotic lunar exploration mission from the Wenchang Space Launch Center at 5.37 am ET. The mission is expected to last 53 days, with Chang’e-6’s robot collecting two kilograms of lunar samples from the dark side of the moon for analysis.
An important achievement will be added to the name of China
If successful, it would be a major demonstration of China’s space travel prowess, as no other country has brought back samples from such a distant region of the Moon. The mission has been named Chang’e-6 (pronounced Changa), after the Chinese moon goddess. China is hoping that Chang’e-6 can retrieve samples from the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon. According to NASA, it is one of the largest and oldest impact features in the Solar System.
There is competition between America and China
America and China are continuously launching one space mission after another regarding the Moon. The surface of the Moon is a strategic target for many countries, including the US and China, which are racing to expand their reach beyond Earth. China aims to put humans on the Moon by the late 2030s. NASA recently announced that it is delaying its mission to return to the Moon, but is still aiming to get there before China, with an estimated launch date in 2026.
How much do you know about the Chinese space agency?
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) is a government agency of the People’s Republic of China headquartered in Haidian, Beijing. This agency is responsible for civil space administration and international space cooperation. These responsibilities include organizing or leading foreign exchanges and cooperation in the aerospace sector.