The China National Space Administration (CNSA) reported on January 10 that the components of the Chanye-6 lunar probe were delivered to Hainan Island by An-124 and Xi’an Y-20 transport aircraft. They were then transported to the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, where assembly and testing began.

Part of an unmanned lunar exploration mission, the automated interplanetary station Chang’e-6 (named after the moon goddess Chang’e) will be China’s second return expedition to collect lunar soil samples on the far side of Earth’s natural satellite .

Chang’e-6 will be the follow-up to the 2020 Chan’e-5 mission, which collected 1,731 grams of lunar material from the Boer Ocean. According to CNSA, the 8,200-kilogram Chanye-6 will be launched on a Changzheng-5 rocket around May 2024.

The device is planned to land in the southern part of the Apollo crater, located at 150-158 degrees west longitude and 41-45 degrees south latitude. The lander will attempt to collect 2,000g of material, both taken from the surface and collected using a drill.