LAUNCH OF CHANG’E-6 LUNAR FARSIDE SAMPLE RETURN MISSION, May 3, 2024, Hainan Island, China, 3:50 am ET

China plans to launch its next robotic lunar spacecraft, Chang’e-6, on May 3, 2024 to return samples from the farside of the Moon.  The launch on a Long March 5 rocket is expected to take place at 07:50 UTC (3:50 am EDT/3:50 pm local time in China) from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island.

Samples have been returned from the nearside by the six U.S. Apollo crews, three Soviet robotic Luna spacecraft, and China’s Chang’e-5, but this will be the first from the farside. The spacecraft will land in the South Pole Aitken Basin.

Communicating with landers on the farside of the Moon requires a relay satellite since that side of the Moon always faces away from Earth. The Queqiao-2 relay satellite was launched in March.