China Plans to Launch First-Ever Mission to Retrieve Samples from Far Side of Moon

In 2024, China will launch its Chang’e 6 mission, aiming to collect the first ever samples from the far side of the Moon. The probe is planned to retrieve up to 2 kg of materials from the rugged terrain using a scoop and drill. Wu Yanhua, chief designer of China’s Deep Space Exploration Major Project, announced plans for the mission’s successors Chang’e-7 and Chang’e-8, set to launch around 2026 and 2028 respectively. Chang’e-7 will be focused on lunar south pole resource exploration while Chang’e-8 will construct the basic model for the international lunar research station. The lunar mission is named after the Chinese Moon goddess Chang’e and will begin by launching the Queqiao 2 satellite in May 2024 to relay communications between Chang’e 6 and teams on Earth.