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

The mission has significance for the Moon race between China and the United States.

Ars Technica

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

China lunar probe returns to Earth with samples

A Chinese probe carrying samples from the far side of the moon returned to Earth on Tuesday, capping a technically complex 53-day mission heralded as a world first.

Phys.org

#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.

Pseudo-MPEC for Chang'e-6 = 2024-083A = NORAD 59627

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
Recente ontwikkelingen in het zonnestelsel - juni 2024

Onze maandelijkse aflevering over recente ontwikkelingen in het zonnestelsel, zoals:Vulkanisme op VenusGeen contact meer met de Akatsuki missie.Chang'e 6 is geland en heeft monsters verzameld.De SLIM lander laat niet van zich horen na een 4e nacht op de maan.Starship vlucht IFT4 is succesvol, maar dearMoon missie is geschrapt.Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders overleden.7 bedrijven leveren plannen aan NASA voor Mars Sample Return.Een theorie beschrijft hoe aurora's werken bij de aarde, Jupiter en Saturnus.Astronomen roepen ESA op om mee te doen met missie naar Uranus.JWST onderzoekt 59 Kuipergordel objecten en centaurs.Suikers op Kuipergordel object Arrokoth.Voyager-1 zendt weer wetenschappelijke gegevens.Voyager projectwetenschapper Ed Stone overleden.Een wolk van interstellair gas is in contact geweest met de aarde.Euclid vindt vrij vliegende planeten.Gliese 12b, een "Venus-achtige" exoplaneet.Chandra en XMM-Newton doen onderzoek naar dwergsterren.Hubble werkt nog maar op 1 gyroscoop.

#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.)

First Look: Chang'e 6

This image from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera shows Chang'e 6 in the Apollo basin on the lunar farside on 07 June 2024. The lander is seen as the small cluster of bright pixels in the center of the image. Image is 552 meters wide; north is up. LROC NAC M1472410644L, projected at 85 centimeters/pixel and enlarged 2x. [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University]

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...

Chang’e-6: Moon samples collected and launched into lunar orbit

Chang’e-6: Moon samples collected and launched into lunar orbit Material from the far side of the moon has begun its journey for Earth after Chinese spacecraft collected samples and launched them into lunar orbit.

SpaceNews

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’e 6 / DORN : Succès de l’alunissage et de l'allumage de l'instrument français

Ce dimanche 2 juin à 00h23 (heure de Paris), la sonde chinoise Chang’e 6 se posait avec succès sur la face cachée de la Lune. A son bord : DORN, le premier instrument français actif sur notre satellite naturel !

cnes
Chang’e-6 lands on far side of the moon to collect unique lunar samples

Chang’e-6 lands on far side of the moon to collect unique lunar samples China’s Chang’e-6 mission made a successful soft landing on the far side of the moon late Saturday.

SpaceNews

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’e-6 set for weekend landing attempt as sun rises over Apollo crater

Chang’e-6 set for weekend landing attempt as sun rises over Apollo crater Chang’e-6 is set to make its lunar landing attempt this weekend, in what will be a critical moment in China’s mission to collect the first samples from the far side of the moon.

SpaceNews

#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/

China launches Chang’e-6 mission to collect first samples from the moon’s far side

China launches Chang’e-6 mission to collect first samples from the moon’s far side China launched its complex and ambitious Chang’e-6 mission Friday to collect the first ever samples from the far side of the moon.

SpaceNews