NASA captures Chinese craft on Moon’s hidden side
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 a mission that started on May 3, 2024, aiming for a successful landing in the southern part of the Apollo crater in the South Pole - Aitkin 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 flew over the landing site almost a week later, it captured an image showing the lander on the edge of a crater approximately 50 meters in diameter – NASA explained on its website. The mentioned photo was shared online, along with a graphic from March 3, 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 Chinese lander in the NASA photo published by Space.com is visible as a cluster of bright pixels in the middle of the image, explained the Space.com portal. It's worth noting the increased brightness of the area around the lander.
The team responsible for LRO explained that this was due to "disruptions from the lander’s engine, which is similar to the blast zone observed 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 its task is to collect 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 satellite.
