Since the start of the mainland lunar exploration program in 2007, the Chang'e series of probes have written a glorious chapter in China's lunar exploration. From the successful orbit of Chang'e-1 around the moon, to Chang'e-2's voyage to Tutadis, to the first landing of Chang'e-3 with the Yutu lunar rover, every step has witnessed a leap in China's space technology. The soft landing of Chang'e-4 on the far side of the moon is a feat in human history, unveiling the mystery of the far side of the moon.
In 2020, Chang'e-5 successfully returned to Earth with lunar soil, realizing the dream of the mainland and even the global space field for many years, and restarting a new era of lunar sample research. This achievement not only strengthens China's position in the field of deep space exploration, but also heralds the development of more ambitious plans.
Today, the launch of the Chang'e-6 probe marks a new stage in China's lunar exploration program. On May 3, 2023, aboard the Zheng-5 Yao-8 launch vehicle, Chang'e-6 embarked on a journey to the Aitken Basin in the South Pole on the far side of the Moon, with a clear goal - to excavate and bring back valuable lunar soil samples in places that no one had visited before. The complexity and technical difficulty of this task far outstripped all previous attempts.
Exploration on the far side of the Moon has long been regarded as the "dark side" of space exploration due to its natural obstacles to communication with the Earth. Chang'e-6 not only has to overcome the communication problems on the far side of the moon, but also needs to complete sampling and take-off autonomously in extreme environments, which is not only a challenge to the extreme of technology, but also a deep exploration of the spirit of innovation. In order to solve the communication blind spot, the pre-deployment of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite has built an information bridge across both ends of the moon, ensuring the real-time transmission of instructions and data, and escorting the exploration journey of Chang'e-6.
In the face of the successive successes of China's lunar exploration program, the international community, especially the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has felt an unprecedented sense of urgency. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson's speech at the congressional hearing revealed the urgent need for financial support, emphasizing that the Artemis program of the United States to return to the moon is facing unprecedented challenges, and the rapid rise of China's aerospace is undoubtedly a boulder hanging over his heart.
Nielsen pointed out that China has not only made a series of breakthroughs in the field of lunar exploration, but also established its own space station in low-earth orbit, and the exploration of Mars has also achieved complete success. He worries that if it does not receive sufficient financial support in time, the United States will not only lose its lead in the race to explore the moon, but will also be more likely to be left behind in the future space race.
Admittedly, the U.S. Artemis program is ambitious to rebuild humanity's footprint on the moon, but frequent delays and budget overruns have overshadowed this grand vision. Compared with the steady development and clear planning of China's space industry in recent years, the road to return to the moon for the United States is even more bumpy.
It is worth noting that although Nielsen's speech has an exaggeration component, it also reflects the new trend of global space competition. The rapid development of China's aerospace industry is no longer a simple demonstration of scientific and technological progress, but has played an increasingly important role in the international space landscape, prompting other countries to reassess their own space strategies and development pace.
All in all, the successful launch of Chang'e-6 is not only another milestone in China's lunar exploration program, but also a powerful shake to the global space landscape. It not only demonstrates China's profound accumulation and innovation capabilities in space technology, but also forces the international community, especially NASA, to re-examine its own development path and think about how to stay ahead of the fierce space race. In the future, as the exploration of the moon and even deeper space accelerates, a double contest of technology and strategy is quietly staged.