China's Chang'e 6 Lunar Mission: A Historic Leap in Space Exploration
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Mission Name | Chang'e 6 |
| Mission Duration | 53 days |
| Return Date | June 25, 2024 |
| Landing Site | Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China |
| Sample Quantity | Approximately 2 kilograms of rock and soil |
| Lunar Landing Site | Northeastern quadrant of the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, within the Apollo crater |
| SPA Basin Characteristics | 2,500-kilometer-wide, one of the largest and oldest craters in the solar system (~4.26 bn years) |
| Apollo Crater Age | Circa 2.5 billion years |
| Mission Significance | First-ever return of samples from the far side of the moon |
| Previous Missions | Chang'e 4 (2019, far side landing), Chang'e 5 (2020, near side sample return) |
| Competing Nations | U.S., China, and allies targeting lunar south pole |
| China's Lunar Goal | Land humans on the moon by 2030 |
| U.S.'s Lunar Goal | Artemis program aims to send astronauts by 2026 |
| International Collaborations | U.S. leads Artemis Accords (43 signatory nations); China and Russia propose ILRS |
| Lunar South Pole Importance | Potential presence of water and rocket fuel |
| UN Outer Space Treaty | Ratified by U.S. and China; prohibits territorial claims, ensures free access to the moon |