At 17:27 on May 3rd Friday 2024 Beijing time CNSA –China National Space Administration, the Chang’e-6 probe was successfully launched by the Long March 5 Yao-8 carrier rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, China, People’s Republic of China., and accurately entered the Earth-moon transfer orbit. The launch mission was a complete success. The Chang’e-6 probe has embarked on the world’s first return journey for sampling from the far side of the moon. The pre-selected landing and sampling area is the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon.
[ Chang’e 6 completes sampling and ascender takes off from the far side of the moon and enters the scheduled lunar orbit]
According to the National Space Administration, at 4th June 2024 7:38 Beijing time today, the Chang’e 6 ascender carrying lunar samples took off from the far side of the moon. After the 3000N engine worked for about 6 minutes, it successfully sent the ascender into the scheduled lunar orbit. From
June 2 to 3, Chang’e 6 successfully completed intelligent and rapid sampling in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon, and packaged the precious lunar far side samples in the storage device carried by the ascender in a predetermined form. During the sampling and packaging process, researchers simulated the geographical model of the sampling area and simulated sampling in the ground laboratory based on the probe data transmitted back by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, providing important support for sampling decisions and operations in various links.
The Chang’e-6 lunar flag display system was jointly developed by China Aerospace Sanjiang Group and Wuhan Textile University and other units. In response to the extreme environmental requirements of high and low temperature alternation, high vacuum and strong ultraviolet radiation in this mission, the lunar flag team of Academician Xu Weilin of the State Key Laboratory of New Textile Materials and Advanced Processing Technology of Wuhan Textile University..
selected basalt materials. Basalt fiber is a new type of inorganic environmentally friendly green high-performance fiber material. It is composed of oxides such as silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide and titanium dioxide. China has listed basalt fiber as one of the four major fibers (carbon fiber, aramid, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, basalt fiber) for key development, and has achieved industrial production. Using natural basalt formed by volcanic eruptions as raw materials, it is crushed and put into a melting furnace, heated to a molten state of 1450~1500℃, and quickly drawn through a platinum-rhodium alloy drawing plate. This is how basalt fiber is made. When basalt fiber is manufactured, it has excellent high temperature resistance and thermal shock stability, and can remain unchanged at a temperature of 650°C. It also has durability, weather resistance, UV resistance, water resistance, and oxidation resistance comparable to natural basalt stone. 嫦娥六号…..
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration