China successfully launches Chang'e-6 lunar probe

At 17:27 on May 3, 2024, the Chang'e-6 probe was successfully launched by the Long March 5 Yao-8 carrier rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China, and accurately entered the Earth-moon transfer orbit. The launch mission was a complete success. The Chang'e-6 probe also embarked on the world's first 53-day sample return trip to the far side of the moon. The pre-selected landing and sampling area is the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon.

Next, Chang'e-6 will complete a series of actions such as earth-moon transfer, lunar backside landing and moon sampling ascent, lunar orbit rendezvous and docking, moon-earth transfer, reentry and return, and finally bring back lunar soil samples from the back side of the moon.