China's Chang’e 6 captured on the lunar far side by NASA orbiter
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has spotted the Chinese Chang’e 6 spacecraft. This is a rare achievement since the mentioned spacecraft is located on the far side of the Moon.
How did the Chang’e 6 spacecraft, belonging to the China National Space Administration, end up on the Moon – specifically on its far side? This is the result of the mission that started on 3 May 2024, aiming for a successful landing in the southwest part of the Apollo crater in the South Pole-Aitken basin area.
Less than a month after launch, the Chinese spacecraft reached the far side of the Moon. A research capsule safely landed on the Moon's surface and was used to collect lunar soil samples, which were then brought back to Earth.
NASA photographed the Chinese spacecraft on the Moon
"Chang’e 6 landed on June 1, and when LRO passed over the landing site almost a week later, it acquired an image showing the lander on the rim of an eroded, 55-yard-diameter (about 50 meters) crater" – NASA explained on its website. The mentioned photo was shared online, along with a graphic from 3 March 2022, which was before the landing of the Chinese spacecraft – comparing both images, the presence of the Chinese space program element is visible to the naked eye.
The lander is seen as the small cluster of bright pixels in the center of the image, explained the Space.com portal.
The team responsible for LRO explained that this was due to "the increased brightness of the terrain surrounding the lander is due to disturbance from the lander engine and is similar to the blast zone seen around other lunar landers." This means that the brighter area in the photo is entirely normal and does not indicate any malfunction of the Chinese device.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, used by NASA to observe Chang’e 6, is a vital craft designed to study the Moon's surface. It was launched into space in 2009 and collects images and data about the Moon to facilitate future landing site selections on the lunar surface.
It is primarily equipped with high-resolution cameras and a laser altimeter. These allow for accurate mapping of the Moon's surface and enable scientists to gather detailed information about Earth's natural satellites.
