Filephoto:PhotoprovidedbytheChinaNationalSpaceAdministration(CNSA)showsChang'e-5probegatheringsamplesonthemoononDec2,2020.TheChang'e6mission,China'snextroboticexpeditiontothemoon,hasbeenscheduledtolandonthemoonnextyear,taskedwithbringingbacksamplesfromthesilvercelestialbody'slittle-knownfarside,accordingtotheChinaNationalSpaceAdministration.Sofar,theChang'e6projecthasprogressedsmoothlyaspertheplan,theadministrationsaidinanewsreleaseonFriday.TofacilitatethecommunicationsbetweentheChang'e6probeandEarth,anewrelaysatellitenamedQueqiao2issettobedeployedinalunarorbitinthefirsthalfof2024,itnoted.TheChang'e6spacecraftwillconsistoffourcomponents–orbiter,lander,ascenderandre-entrymodule.Ifeverythinggoesaccordingtoplan,itwilltouchdownintheSouthPole-AitkenBasin.Themissionwillinvolveanon-siteinvestigationonthefarsideofthemoon,theretrievalsofsamples,andsystematicandlong-termlaboratoryresearchonsamplescollected.Ifthemissionsucceeds,itwillbecomethefirsttimeformantogetsamplesfromthefarside.TidalforcesonEarthslowthemoon'srotationtothepointwherethesamesidealwaysfacesEarth.Theotherside,mostofwhichisnevervisiblefromEarth,isthemoon'sfarside.Thoughthefarsidehadbeenextensivelyphotographedbyspacecraft,startingwithaSovietprobein1959,noprobehadevertoucheddownonituntilChina'sChang'e4missionthatsoft-landedintheVonKarmancraterintheSouthPole-AitkenBasininJanuary2019.Chinaopeneditslunarprogramin2004andhaslaunchedfiveroboticprobessince2007.Themostrecentmission,theChang'e5,landedonthemooninDecember2020andsoonreturned1,731gramsoflunarrocksandsoilbacktoEarth,achievingahistoricaccomplishmentabout44yearsafterthelastlunarsubstanceswerebroughtbackfromournearestcelestialneighbor.Inaddition,theroverinthetheChang'e4mission,namedYutu2,hasbeenworkingtherefornearlyfiveyearsastheworld'slongest-operatinglunarrover.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.