China has revealed details of a small rover aboard its pioneering Chang’e-6 mission to return samples from the far side of the moon.
Chang’e 6 launch It was launched on May 3 aboard a Long March 5 rocket. Chang’e 5 MissionAfter launch, it was revealed that the new spacecraft also contained a surprise rover.
Chang’e 6 Lander Landing at Apollo Crater The rover arrived in the Antarctic Aitken Basin on June 1. It took samples two days later, after which it Moon It was completed.
The small autonomous vehicle separated from its parent vehicle to take an iconic photo of the lander, which sits atop the ascent vehicle that will launch any samples it collects into lunar orbit. The image shows the solar panels, landing legs, deployed sample collection arm, and the basalt Chinese flag.
The rover is highly capable and has significantly enhanced autonomous intelligence, according to its developer, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). according to State media Xinhua reported.
The rover reportedly autonomously separated from the lander, navigated to a suitable location and picked the ideal angle to take photos.
According to the China Space Exploration Commission, the small spacecraft is “a major step forward in China’s development of autonomous intelligence in deep space exploration, and is expected to have a positive impact on future lunar exploration.”
The rover weighs about 11 pounds (5 kilograms), making it much smaller and lighter than China’s first two lunar rovers, Yutu and Yutu 2, which were part of the 2013 Nearby Probe. Chang’e 3 And on the other side of 2019 Chang’e 4 Each jade rabbit weighed approximately 310 pounds (140 kg). Ball Rabbit 2 It is still active within the Von Kármán Crater on the Moon.
China has not released details, but it’s likely that Chang’e-6’s lander and rover were put out of action after the ascent vehicle took off from above the lander, exposing it to high-velocity exhaust fumes. In any case, the lander and rover were not designed to withstand the extreme cold of the moonlit night that subsequently descended on Apollo Crater.
Chang’e 6 is Ebubashi 2The relay satellite relayed signals between the spacecraft and ground teams on the far side of the moon, facing away from Earth.
Chang’e 6 is expected to deliver about 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of precious samples from the far side of the moon to Earth. Around June 25th.
