China’s Chang’e-6 spacecraft is on its way to Earth to deliver samples collected from the far side of the Moon. The Chang’e-6 service module likely fired its engines for trans-Earth injection around June 21. The spacecraft is currently in the final leg of its complex 53-day journey to the moon, which includes landing, retrieval, liftoff and docking. The capsule containing the unique samples will exit the shuttle module shortly before reaching Earth early on June 25.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has not updated on any maneuvers to bring the spacecraft home from lunar orbit. However, optical and radio amateur observations indicate that the Chang’e-6 spacecraft is heading towards Earth.

Observations and data shared by astronomer Bill Gray and others, as well as radio tracking by individuals and groups such as Scott Tilley and AMSAT-DL, all point to Chang’e-6 activity.

After returning to Earth, the capsule is expected to land in the Seniwang Banner region of Inner Mongolia during a half-hour launch on June 25 at 1:41 ET (05:41 UTC). The information is provided in line with announcements regarding airspace closures. . CNSA does not publicly release its schedule of mission activities in advance.

The return capsule will first exit the atmosphere to remove some of the high-speed reentry energy from the Moon before reentering the Earth’s atmosphere. Obtaining the samples will enable comprehensive studies on the composition and evolution of the far side of the Moon. The collected material may provide insight into why the near and far sides are so different and provide clues about the history of the early solar system.

Mission milestones

Chang’e-6 was launched on May 3 from Wenchang on a Long March 5 rocket and reached lunar orbit less than five days later. The combined lander touched down at 41.6385°S, 206.0148°E. June 1 at Apollo Crater in the Antarctic-Aitken Broad Basin.

The mission’s lifter took off approximately 49 hours later with up to 2,000 grams of material collected by scoop and drill. On June 6, the lander docked with the Chang’e-6 service module in lunar orbit. After deployment, the container containing the task samples is autonomously transported to the capsule.

According to amateur radio communications, the lander left lunar orbit a few days later. CNSA has not released a statement on the fate of the landing, but it aligns with the 2020 Chang’e-5 mission protocol. The Queqiao-2 relay satellite contributed to missions on the far side of the Moon. The spacecraft launched before Chang’e-6 provides communication with the far side of the Moon; this never returns to Earth due to Earth’s gravity slowing down the Moon’s rotation.

Following the launch of the lander, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson congratulated China on the progress of the mission.

Josef Aschbacher, head of the European Space Agency, also congratulated CNSA. He also noted the success of the cooperation between China and ESA on the Chang’e-6 mission. This includes the successful collection of data by the NILS (Negative Ions on the Lunar Surface) instrument and support from the ESA ground station for the early stages of the mission and return to Earth. However, ESA and China’s cooperation on the lunar sphere may come to an end.

Outside Chang’e-6

NASA’s Lunar Orbiter (LRO) spotted the Chang’e 6 lander at the rim of a turbid crater within Apollo Crater. LRO photographed the lander on June 7 after the rover launched the collected samples into lunar orbit.

The landing was only the second on the far side of the moon. This follows the landing of the Chang’e-4 lander and rover in 2019. This mission, along with the return of near-side samples of Chang’e-5, paved the way for Chang’e-6.

Once the reentry module is released, the Chang’e-6 shuttle will likely fire its engines to prevent reentry. The spacecraft can then be sent on a long mission, depending on fuel supply. The Chang’e-5 orbiter visited Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 before returning to the Moon to test a distant retrograde orbit. Third parties once again monitored Chang’e-5’s expanded activities.

China’s next lunar mission will be the Chang’e-7 multi-purpose spacecraft in 2026. Around 2028, the Chang’e-8 mission will be carried out to use resources on-site and test technologies.

These are described as the pioneer missions of the China-led International Lunar Reconnaissance Station (ILRS). Launch of the superheavy payload in the early 2030s will enable construction of the ILRS. Many countries and organizations participated in the project.