Moon sample return mission: China’s Chang’e 6 vs India’s Chandrayaan-4 mission

The launch of the Chang’e-6 lunar probe comes amid talk by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) of planning its next moon mission – Chandrayaan-4, which also aims to bring back moon samples.

Here’s a look at the differences between China’s latest Chang’e-6 mission, its 2026 mission, Chang’e 7, which aims to explore the lunar south pole, and India’s Chandrayaan 4 mission.

Chang’e 6 lunar probe

According to CNSA, Chang’e 6 is the world’s first attempt to obtain material from the far side of the moon – the side that is not visible from Earth.

The Chang’e-6 lunar probe was launched on a Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket from the Wenchang spacecraft launch site in southern China’s Hainan province.

Component: The spacecraft consists of four components – an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a re-entry module.

execution: It is scheduled to land on the Moon in the first half of this year. Once the probe reaches lunar orbit, the components will separate into two parts. The orbiter and re-entry module will remain in orbit, while the lander and ascender will move toward the lunar surface.

soft landing: The lander-ascender combination will make a soft landing. CNSA said it will land in the South Pole-Aitken Basin – a giant crater on the far side and also the largest, oldest and deepest basin recognized on the moon.

Its purpose is to collect up to 2 kilograms of stones and soil packed in a vacuum metal container inside the ascender.

In-situ operations: The lander-ascender combination will then begin using a drill and a mechanical arm to collect lunar rocks and soil.

Re-entry into class: After carrying out operations on the surface, the Ascender’s rocket will take it to lunar orbit to dock with the re-entry module. It will transfer the samples to the module, which will take them to Earth.

What do we know about Chandrayaan 4 mission?

While the Chang’e 6 mission aims to bring back samples from the far side of the Moon, India’s Chandrayaan 4 mission is being built to bring back samples from the far side of the Moon – reportedly the south pole region. It is expected to launch in 2027.

The next lunar mission is under construction

ISRO chief S Somnath had earlier said that the mission to bring back lunar samples has not been approved yet, while scientists are still working on the concept.

He recently said that Chandrayaan-4 is the first step towards achieving India’s goal of landing an astronaut on the Moon in 2040.

Somnath said, “Chandrayaan-4 is the first step towards taking a spacecraft to the Moon and collecting samples and bringing it back to Earth. This represents the entire cycle of going to the Moon and coming back to Earth.” PTI has been quoted as saying.

He had said that going to the Moon and bringing back samples from there is a very complex task. Somnath said, “…another rocket would have to take off from the moon, come back to Earth and land on Earth which is double what we did last time.”

How Chandrayaan 4 mission can be executed:

launch vehicle: The next lunar missions will likely include a PSLV and an LVM3 as launch vehicle options.

Spacecraft Module: The mission will consist of five spacecraft modules – Re-Entry Module (RM), Transfer Module (TM), Ascender Module (AM), Descender Module (DM) and Propulsion Module (PM).

step 1: The first step would be to send a lander and an “ascender” to the lunar surface to collect samples. According to space.comAccording to the Indian Express report, this will probably happen near the Moon’s south pole – Shiva Shakti Bindu – the landing site of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.

Also read: Chandrayaan-4: ISRO will bring back soil samples from the Moon; See details of the next lunar mission

step 2: According to media reports, the other two modules of the Chandrayaan-4 mission – a transfer module and a reentry module – may fly atop another rocket later, but will remain stationed in lunar orbit.

Step 3, after landing: According to reports, the lander and ascender may touch the edge of an unspecified crater near the south pole. “The ascender module carrying the collected samples will launch from the lunar surface and transfer its samples to the reentry module. The transfer and reentry modules will then return toward Earth,” the report said.

Also read: Chandrayaan 4 mission will be ‘extremely challenging’: ISRO chief Somnath shares details about next lunar project

China’s Chang’e 7

China’s Chang’e-7 mission is scheduled to launch around 2026, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said. This is around the time when the Chandrayaan 4 mission is expected to launch.

The Chang’e-7 mission aims to survey the lunar surface atmosphere, water, ice, and volatile elements of the lunar soil in the lunar south pole. It will also research the Moon’s terrain, structure and composition.

The mission will carry six scientific instruments developed by six countries and one international organization.

Countries that brought samples from the moon

The United States, the former Soviet Union, and China have returned lunar samples to Earth, but none have obtained samples from the far side of the Moon.

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Published: 05 May 2024, 06:56 am IST