A technical challenge and, above all, a historic step in the discovery of this rocky celestial body, as the mission is set to land on the far side of the Moon. "The Moon has a gravitational lock and always presents the same face to the Earth," explains Olivier Sanguy, head of space news at the space in Toulouse. China was the first country to land a craft on this hidden face in 2019. Then, in 2020, the Chang'e 5 probe brought back lunar samples, a first in over forty years. But this Chang'e 6 mission, lasting 53 days (a little more than double the Chang'e 5 mission), is even more ambitious.
Landing is scheduled for June 2nd, with the craft first being placed in lunar orbit to prepare for its descent and mission. After landing, "a robotic arm will collect samples and dig up to two meters deep," says Olivier Sanguy. "It's a major first," adds Estelle Moraux, associate professor at the Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics in Grenoble, who specifies that "two kilograms" of samples are to be brought back to Earth. "From a scientific standpoint, it's entirely new because we'll have access to a different geology of the Moon. The far side receives far more meteorite impacts [than the visible side], and we'll be able to analyze these materials without alteration," explains the researcher at the Grenoble University Space Center.
On Earth, when a meteorite enters the atmosphere, it burns, melts, and thus changes. Some meteorites completely disintegrate before hitting the ground, while others retain only a twentieth of their original mass. The samples brought back by Chang'e 6 will be even more precious because by examining them, "we also study the history of our planet, as the Moon is like a piece of Earth torn off more than four billion years ago and then put in the fridge!" illustrates Olivier Sanguy.
A true "technological challenge"
The Chang'e 6 mission is revolutionary for our understanding of Earth and Space, but it also represents a considerable technical challenge. "It's already difficult to land on the Moon, let alone on the far side..." summarizes Olivier Sanguy, listing the numerous landing missions that have failed, from India to Russia. "The terrains are much more rugged on the far side, it's not easy to find a spot that's relatively flat to land," explains Estelle Moraux, who notes that "several probes have ended up off balance on the Moon and lost contact with Earth" recently.
Furthermore, "for a mission on the far side, it's not possible to communicate directly, a relay satellite is needed to triangulate," explains Olivier Sanguy. "It's a technological challenge. It's the first time a mission is truly landing on the far side of the Moon, where no direct communication with Earth is possible," adds Estelle Moraux.
A "necessary step" before Mars
After several Moon-related missions, Beijing is pushing the boundaries even further with Chang'e 6. "China clearly states its lunar objective," emphasizes Estelle Moraux. NASA chief Bill Nelson estimated in mid-April that the United States is now engaged in a space "race" with Beijing. The American Artemis 3 mission plans to land astronauts on the Moon in 2026. China, on the other hand, has mentioned the same project for 2030. But the dates could converge as Beijing is discreet about the progress of its space program and Washington suffers from delays and tensions over the financing of its projects.
"The Moon is a stepping stone before going to Mars. Space programs consider it a necessary step," assures Estelle Moraux. "Artemis clearly displays a 'Moon to Mars' objective, from the Moon to Mars," adds Olivier Sanguy. Who adds with a smile: "I've always been told that men and women would be on Mars in twenty years, but they've been telling me that for forty years."
Because yes, our natural satellite is an excellent training ground for one day embarking on the conquest of Mars. But at only 384,400 kilometers from Earth, these lunar "trainings" are incomparable to a Martian adventure, as the planet is more than 55 million kilometers away from us...
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