China set to launch probe to far side of moon
By Jemma Crew
China is set to launch a probe to collect samples from the far side of the moon, in what is being billed a world first.
An unmanned rocket carrying the Chang’e-6 probe is due to lift off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center just before 17:30 local time (10:30 BST).
The 53-day-long mission aims to bring around two kilograms of lunar samples to Earth for analysis.
It will try to re-launch from the side of the moon facing away from Earth.
This is described as the dark side of the moon because it is invisible from Earth, not because it does not catch the sun’s rays.
Ge Ping, vice director of China’s Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, told reporters ahead of the launch: “Chang’e-6 will collect samples from the far side of the Moon for the first time.”
The probe was named after the Moon goddess and one of the most popular figures in Chinese mythology.
