• UGI USER
  • Jun 26, 2024
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SIGNIFICANCE OF CHINA’S CHANG’E-6 LUNAR MISSION

Why in the news?

  • China’s Chang’e-6 mission became the first spacecraft to return samples from the Moon’s far side, the side that Earth never sees.
  • On June 1, the lander collected rocks and soil from the South Pole-Aitken basin, one of the Moon’s oldest and largest craters, and returned the samples to Earth on June 21.
Source: Phys

Potential Discoveries from Chang’e-6 Samples

  • Sample return missions enable scientists to study extraterrestrial materials on Earth using advanced lab tools.
  • They reveal origins, ages, and compositions of celestial bodies, shedding light on lunar, Earth, and solar system history.
  • Chang’e-6 samples from the Moon’s far side could explain geological differences, reveal lunar cratering history, and guide future lunar resource utilization.
Chandrayaan-3 Programme

  • India’s third lunar mission and second attempt at a soft landing on the Moon.
  • Launched on July 14, 2023, from Sriharikota, entering lunar orbit on August 5, 2023, and achieving a successful lunar south pole touchdown on August 23, 2023.

Mission Objectives:

  • Demonstrate safe and soft landing on the lunar surface.
  • Conduct rover operations and perform in-situ scientific experiments.

Components:

  • Propulsion Module: Transports lander and rover to a 100 km lunar orbit; includes SHAPE payload for Earth observations.
  • Lander Module (Vikram): Carries scientific instruments like ChaSTE, ILSA, and LP for lunar surface studies.
  • Rover Module (Pragyan): Equipped with instruments such as APXS and LIBS for lunar surface and subsurface analysis.