At 17:27 on the 3rd of this month, the Long March 5 Yao-8 carrier rocket carrying the Chang'e-6 probe was launched from the Wenchang Cosmodrome in Hainan, and the launch mission was a complete success. Not long ago, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation released the "Blue Book of China's Aerospace Science and Technology Activities." According to the Blue Book, in 2023, the mainland will carry out a total of 67 launch missions, research and innovation will launch 221 spacecraft, and the number of launches and the number of spacecraft will set a new record for the mainland. In 2024, the mainland plans to carry out a series of major tasks, such as in the first half of this year, the probe Chang'e 6 of the continental lunar exploration program will fly into space to "dig and dig" on the far side of the moon. And Chang'e-6 is also carrying an important and difficult task when it launches this time, that is, to collect soil samples on the far side of the moon! This is the first time in the history of mankind!
So far, humans have sent back ten samples from the moon, basically from the front side of the moon, and the expected destination of Chang'e-6 is the Aitken Basin in the south pole region of the moon, which is part of the south pole of the moon, where the geography is very similar to the south pole of the earth, and has the same complex and varied terrain, such as the bottom of low-lying craters and towering peaks. Scientists believe that the far side of the moon is older and more mysterious, and has important scientific value. For example, due to light conditions, there is water ice in the south pole of the moon. In addition, a large amount of water ice has been proven to exist on the moon. If the moon's water ice resources can be developed, the construction of lunar bases and the survival of astronauts will not be a problem in the future, and at the same time, water will be decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen, which can also be used as fuel for spacecraft flight. As a result, many countries, including the mainland, have a great scientific interest in this region. On March 20 this year, the Queqiao-2 relay satellite of the fourth phase of the lunar exploration project was successfully launched by the Long March 8 Yao-3 carrier rocket in Wenchang, China. Sampling on the far side of the moon, after the Queqiao 2 relay satellite goes into the sky, the mainland will wait for Chang'e to go to the moon.
It is understood that there are currently 35 place names on the moon named after Chinese elements. Guanghan Palace, Tianhe, Weaver Girl, Mount Tai, Huashan...... These elements with unique Chinese charm are named after the geographical entities of the moon, marking the mountains and basins of the moon. Ring pits, etc. These names are not just simple titles, but also reflect China's great achievements in lunar exploration.
Mankind's journey into space is a great epic, and every second that flies into space means that a new chapter has been written in this epic. Chang'e-6, the probe of the continental lunar exploration program, has flown to space to collect soil samples on the far side of the moon, a task that is difficult, but it cannot stop the Chinese who work hard and prosper, let alone defeat the earthlings who look up at the starry sky! (May 19)