China’s Moon mission harbors a hidden robot

Images of China’s latest lunar mission, Chang’e 6, have been released, showing a small rover attached to the lander. The mission was launched successfully on May 3 by the China Academy of Space Technology, with vehicles entering the orbit of the Moon on May 8. Chang’e 6 aims to retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon and bring them back to Earth, making it the first mission in history to do so.

The key vehicle in the mission is the lander, scheduled to land on the Moon in early June. The lander will collect samples from the lunar surface and place them in a return module to bring back to Earth, following a similar process to the Chang’e 5 mission in 2020. Details about the Chang’e 6 mission were kept under wraps before launch, but it was revealed that items from France, Sweden, Italy, and Pakistan were also sent to the Moon.

After the launch, new photos were released showing a small robot with wheels attached to the lunar lander. The robot’s main mission is unclear, but it is equipped with an infrared imaging spectrometer. While the robot’s mission is expected to be short, the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, which supplied parts for the mission, provided some insights.

China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) has set a goal to send people to the Moon by 2030, and plans to test a new large reusable rocket next year. CAST has already made significant achievements with the Jade Rabbit 2 exploration robot on the far side of the Moon, which made important discoveries, including small glass spheres on the lunar surface. Details about future missions, including the new robot and the plan to send people to the Moon, are still being kept secret by CAST.