NASA captures rare glimpse of China's Chang'e 6 on Moon
8:33 AM EDT, June 18, 2024
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has spotted the Chinese Chang’e 6 spacecraft. This is a rare achievement since the spacecraft is located on the far side of the Moon.
How did the Chang’e 6 spacecraft, belonging to the China National Space Administration, end up on the Moon, specifically on its far side? This is the result of a mission that started on May 3, 2024, aiming for a successful landing in the southern part of the Apollo crater located in the South Pole-Aitkin basin area.
Less than a month after launch, the Chinese spacecraft reached the far side of the Moon. A research capsule safely landed on the Moon's surface and was used to collect lunar soil samples, which were then brought back to Earth.
NASA photographed the Chinese spacecraft on the Moon
– Chang’e 6 landed on June 1, and when LRO flew over the landing site almost a week later, it captured an image showing the lander on the edge of a crater approximately 55 yards in diameter – NASA explained on its website. The photo was shared online, along with a graphic from March 3, 2022, taken before the landing of the Chinese spacecraft. By comparing both images, the presence of the Chinese spacecraft is visible to the naked eye.
The Chinese lander in the NASA photo published by Space.com is visible as a cluster of bright pixels in the middle of the image, explained Space.com. The increased brightness of the area around the lander is worth noting.
The team responsible for LRO explains that this is due to "disruptions from the lander’s engine" and is similar to the blast zone observed around other lunar landers. This means that the brighter area in the photo is entirely normal and does not indicate any malfunction of the Chinese device.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, used by NASA to observe Chang’e 6, is a vital craft designed to study the Moon's surface. It was launched into space in 2009 and collects images and data about the Moon to facilitate future landing site selections on the lunar surface.
It is primarily equipped with high-resolution cameras and a laser altimeter. These allow for accurate mapping of the Moon's surface and enable scientists to gather detailed information about Earth's natural satellite.
