Chang’e-6’s clock starts now.
China’s Chang’e-6 mission to the far side of the Moon has hit the ground running.
On Saturday, the latest of the Chang’e lunar fleet landed on the side of the Moon we cannot see from Earth. The mission aims to collect about four and a half pounds of material, and then will ship the samples to Earth. This includes surface regolith, or Moon dirt, as well as excavated material buried as far down as six and half feet deep, obtained with its scoop and drill.
Chang’e-6 is in a lucrative place. Known as the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, it’s full of ejected lunar mantle material. The landscape is therefore rich in information about the history of the Moon and the Solar System, according to the non-profit organization The Planetary Society. Closer to the present day, the lunar south pole is where space agencies are keen to place their 21st century astronauts. That’s because frozen water might be trapped here. READ MORE from Inverse
No comments:
Post a Comment