Rocks from the far side of the Moon landed in Mongolia on Tuesday

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/06/china-has-completed-another-impressive-robotic-mission-to-the-moon/

#news #science #moon #Chang_e6

Moon rocks just dropped.

#Chang_e6

And I am curious about the plan for an extended mission; since there was the time that I was surprised by #Chang_e2 flying by #Toutatis.

https://phys.org/news/2024-06-china-lunar-probe-earth-samples.html

#Chang_e6 is on track to drop its return shell with samples from the lunar far side at about 2024 June 25 06:00 UT: https://www.projectpluto.com/pluto/mpecs/24083a.htm

At the Siziwang / Dorbod site used previously for Chang'e 5 and numerous Shenzhou missions.

De laatste ontwikkelingen in ons zonnestelsel zijn weer te horen in onze #podcast . Met #chang_e6 , vulkanisme op Venus, #Starship vlucht IFT4, #JWST onderzoekt 59 Kuipergordel objecten en centaurs en Hubble werkt op nog maar 1 gyroscoop.
https://app.springcast.fm/19198/recente-ontwikkelingen-in-het-zonnestelsel-juni-2024

#LRO fly over of the #Chang_e6 landing site on the lunar farside: https://www.lroc.asu.edu/images/1374

(Images taken 2024 June 7, four days after the Chang'e 6 ascent stage launched back into lunar orbit. So there are two superimposed rocket plume marks here.)

Another update on #Chang_e6 :

Ascent stage is now in lunar orbit; with rendezvous with the return spacecraft pending - https://spacenews.com/change-6-moon-samples-collected-and-launched-into-lunar-orbit/ .

Return to Earth around June 20-21.

This article also relates that the lander has a laser retro-reflector on it, which I had not known before.

But who has a laser to bounce off something on the lunar farside?

I suppose LRO will eventually pass overhead; and it would not violate Congressional restrictions on NASA to keep the altimeter running...

The CNES radon outgassing instrument on #Chang_e6 has worked.

And takeoff is apparently scheduled for later today:

"7 heures et quelques minutes après la confirmation de l'alunissage, le dimanche 2 juin à 07h30 (heure de Paris), DORN a été rallumé avec succès. Après quelques ajustements, son bon fonctionnement a été confirmé ... il restera en activité jusqu'au 3 juin au soir"

https://cnes.fr/fr/change-6-dorn-succes-de-lalunissage-et-de-lallumage-de-linstrument-francais

#Chang_e6 has successfully landed on the lunar far side: https://spacenews.com/change-6-lands-on-far-side-of-the-moon-to-collect-unique-lunar-samples/

(via @AndrewJonesSpace )

QT @AndrewJonesSpace
2024 May 29

"Chang’e-6 set for weekend landing attempt as sun rises over Apollo crater" - https://spacenews.com/change-6-set-for-weekend-landing-attempt-as-sun-rises-over-apollo-crater/ .

Having waited for most of a lunar day.

#Chang_e6

#Chang_e6 is on the way to the Moon.

QT @AndrewJonesSpace
2024 May 3
"China launches Chang’e-6 mission to collect first samples from the moon’s far side" - https://spacenews.com/china-launches-change-6-mission-to-collect-first-samples-from-the-moons-far-side/