Latest news with #Chang'e-6
Saba Yemen
4 days ago
- Science
- Saba Yemen
Roscosmos: Russia plans to build first nuclear power plant on Moon
Moscow - (Saba): Dmitry Bakanov, head of Roscosmos, announced that the agency plans to build the first nuclear power plant on the Moon and work on exploring Venus. Sputnik news agency quoted Bakanov, speaking on the Telegram channel about the projects Roscosmos is working on, as saying: "The tasks assigned to our agency include the creation of a new Russian orbital station to replace the International Space Station." He continued: "Establishing the first nuclear power plant on the surface of the Moon to serve as the basis for future lunar bases... We also plan to explore Venus, as we are the only country to have launched a spacecraft and landed on this planet." He added: "We also plan to expand our satellite constellation to increase the speed of satellite broadband internet and ensure coverage of all parts of our country with these services. We also plan to increase the accuracy of the GLONASS navigation system and improve the capabilities of domestic rockets and spacecraft." He concluded: "Great goals lie ahead. We must implement projects that require courage, broad thinking, and engineering genius." Russia and China have announced plans to build a scientific station on the Moon in cooperation with several countries. In 2021, the Russian space agency Roscosmos signed an agreement with China to this effect. As part of the station project, China is expected to send a satellite. Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7, and Chang'e-8 will also be launched to the Moon. Russia is also expected to launch several lunar orbiters and lunar surface exploration vehicles. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
The Sun
18-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
China sets launch of asteroid probe Tianwen-2 for late May, state media reports
BEIJING: China is preparing to launch near-Earth asteroid probe Tianwen-2 at the end of May, state-run CCTV reported on Sunday, in the country's first mission to collect samples from interplanetary space. Tianwen-2 was transported to the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre's launch area on May 14 and will take off after passing inspections, the report said. The craft will use a mechanical arm to scoop up dust samples from the surface of 2016 HO3, a small 100-m (328-ft) asteroid that circles Earth like a 'quasi-satellite'. It will also explore 311P, a comet. Other nations including the U.S. and Japan have successfully landed on asteroids. A space race between China and the U.S. has led to the launch of new exploration plans in recent years. In 2024, China became the first nation to bring back samples from the moon's far side with its Chang'e-6 lunar probe. Around 2028, China's Tianwen-3 mission will attempt to bring back samples from Mars.
The Sun
18-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
China to Launch Tianwen-2 Asteroid Mission in May
BEIJING: China is preparing to launch near-Earth asteroid probe Tianwen-2 at the end of May, state-run CCTV reported on Sunday, in the country's first mission to collect samples from interplanetary space. Tianwen-2 was transported to the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre's launch area on May 14 and will take off after passing inspections, the report said. The craft will use a mechanical arm to scoop up dust samples from the surface of 2016 HO3, a small 100-m (328-ft) asteroid that circles Earth like a 'quasi-satellite'. It will also explore 311P, a comet. Other nations including the U.S. and Japan have successfully landed on asteroids. A space race between China and the U.S. has led to the launch of new exploration plans in recent years. In 2024, China became the first nation to bring back samples from the moon's far side with its Chang'e-6 lunar probe. Around 2028, China's Tianwen-3 mission will attempt to bring back samples from Mars.
NDTV
09-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Indian-Origin Scientist In UK Gets World's First Far-Side Moon Dust From China
A UK-based Indian-origin scientist has received a portion of the world's first lunar soil samples collected from the Moon's far side, courtesy of China's Chang'e-6 mission, according to BBC. This historic achievement marks the first time any nation has retrieved material from the Moon's far side, a region previously unexplored due to communication challenges. According to BBC, Professor Mahesh Anand is the only scientist in the UK to have been loaned this extremely rare material, which he describes as "more precious than gold dust". "Nobody in the world had access to China's samples, so this is a great honour and a huge privilege," he says. After grinding and zapping the dust with lasers, Professor Anand's team hopes to answer fundamental questions about how the Moon formed and about the early years of planet Earth. Inside the grains of dust could be evidence to back up scientists' theory that the Moon was made from the debris thrown out when Earth struck a Mars-sized planet 4.5 billion years ago. China collected the rocks on its Chang'e 5 space mission in 2020 when it landed on a volcanic area called Mons Rumker. A robotic arm drilled into the soil to collect 2kg of material, which was brought back to Earth in a capsule which landed in Inner Mongolia, as per BBC report. The Chang'e-6 mission successfully returned approximately 1.9 kilograms of lunar material in June 2024. These samples are being distributed to international researchers for analysis. Notably, the lunar soil exhibits distinct characteristics compared to previous samples, including a more porous structure and differing mineral compositions, such as higher plagioclase and lower olivine content. This collaboration underscores China's commitment to international scientific cooperation in space exploration. The involvement of an Indian-origin scientist in the UK highlights the global nature of lunar research and the shared pursuit of understanding our celestial neighbour.
South China Morning Post
02-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
US space agency Nasa will not fund study on China's moon sample: American scientist
Advertisement Earlier this month, planetary scientist Timothy Glotch of Stony Brook University was selected by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to receive a rare set of specimens collected by China's lunar sample return mission in 2020. Glotch told the South China Morning Post he hoped to compare properties of the soil and rock samples to Apollo-era rocks . His goal was to help answer long-standing questions about the moon's volcanic past, diverse surface materials and how they have been altered by billions of years in space. But unlike most US research involving lunar samples, his project will not be supported by Nasa. The reason is the Wolf Amendment , a congressional restriction that bars Nasa and its grantees from direct cooperation with Chinese government entities like CNSA. A moon surface taken by a panoramic camera aboard the lander-ascender combination of Chang'e-6 spacecraft after it landed on the moon. Photo: CNSA/Xinhua via AP 'I'm grateful to my institution for providing funds for me to travel to China and to my research collaborators' institutions to carry out our proposed work,' Glotch said. Advertisement While the process is still in its early stages, he will collaborate with scientists from the University of Hong Kong and San Francisco State University to analyse the samples. Stony Brook's officials must still sign the loan agreement with CNSA before the samples can be shipped, Glotch added.
