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China's lunar probe "Chang'e 6" completed rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit today, becoming the second Chinese spacecraft to achieve lunar orbit rendezvous and docking after "Chang'e 5".

It is reported that the Chang'e-6 ascender completed the rendezvous and docking with the orbiter and returner combination in the lunar orbit at around 2 pm on Thursday (June 6, 2024), and safely transferred the lunar sample container to the returner at around 3 pm.

Since the Chang'e-6 ascender took off from the back of the moon on Tuesday and entered the circumlunar flight orbit, it has made four orbit adjustments. When the ascender was about 50 kilometers in front of the orbiter and returner combination and about 10 kilometers above, the orbiter and returner combination gradually approached the ascender through short-range autonomous control and completed the orbital rendezvous.

Next, the Chang'e-6 orbiter and returner combination will separate from the ascender and enter the circumlunar waiting stage, preparing to implement the lunar-to-earth transfer orbit control at an appropriate time. After the key steps of lunar-to-earth transfer and separation of the orbiter and returner, the returner will carry the lunar samples and land at the Siziwang Banner Space Landing Site in Inner Mongolia as planned.