Insider Brief
- During a meeting with representatives from the space sector in Beijing, President Xi Jinping emphasized China’s commitment to collaborating with the global space community and sharing the knowledge gained through these missions.
- The Chang’e 6 mission has successfully returned lunar samples from the far side of the moon.
- President Xi Jinping reiterated that while China’s space ambitions aim to advance the nation’s position in science and technology, it also seeks to contribute to humanity’s overall progress in space exploration.
China continues to make significant strides in space exploration, most recently with the Chang’e 6 mission, which successfully returned lunar samples from the far side of the moon. During a meeting with representatives from the space sector in Beijing, President Xi Jinping reportedly emphasized China’s commitment to collaborating with the global space community and sharing the knowledge gained through these missions.
Speaking at the Great Hall of the People, President Xi highlighted the importance of international cooperation in space exploration. He stated that space is a shared domain for all humanity, and China remains open to partnerships that promote peaceful exploration and the use of lunar resources. Xi pointed out that the Chang’e missions create opportunities for global scientific collaboration, positioning China as a key player in the worldwide effort to explore and develop space technologies.
The Chang’e 6 mission, launched on May 3, 2023, achieved a landmark success by bringing back the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon. The mission deployed a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan, landing at the South Pole-Aitken Basin on June 2. This basin is one of the largest impact craters in the solar system and holds crucial data about the moon’s formation and history.
The Chang’e 6 lander operated on the lunar surface for 49 hours, collecting nearly 2 kilograms of material using advanced drilling techniques. The samples have immense scientific value and will help researchers better understand the moon’s geological past while laying the groundwork for future lunar resource exploration.
President Xi encouraged China’s space engineers and scientists to maximize the research potential of these lunar samples. He reiterated that the country’s space ambitions aim not just to advance China’s position in science and technology, but also to contribute to humanity’s overall progress in space exploration. The mission’s success is another step toward China’s long-term goal of becoming a leading power in space science and technology.
Looking ahead, China plans to deepen international collaboration in space while continuing to focus on significant space projects and deep-space exploration. By building on the momentum of the Chang’e missions, China hopes to unlock more knowledge about the moon and beyond, contributing to the peaceful use of outer space for the benefit of all.
The Chang’e 6 mission underscores China’s growing capability in space exploration and its openness to partnerships with other nations in pursuit of shared scientific goals. Through these efforts, China is positioning itself as a key player in the future of space exploration and governance.
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