A mini robot weighing approximately 5 kg has landed on the far side of the Moon as part of the Chang’e 6 mission, capturing images of the lander alongside the Chinese flag.
On May 3rd, the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) successfully launched the Long March 5 rocket, carrying various instruments for the Chang’e 6 mission. Following the launch, CAST released new images from the mission, including a photograph of the lunar lander with a small robot attached to its side. At that time, details about the robot remained confidential, sparking curiosity among space science enthusiasts.
Secret exploration robot attached to the lunar lander in the Chang’e 6 mission. (Photo: CAST).
The Chang’e 6 Lander successfully touched down in the Apollo Basin of the South Pole-Aitken Basin on June 1st. The exploration robot was deployed approximately two days later, after the sample collection activities on the Moon were completed.
The small robot moved away from the lander and captured an impressive photograph. In the image, the lander stands firmly on the lunar surface, with the launch vehicle that will transport samples from the Moon’s surface to orbit visible on top. Additionally, the image clearly displays solar panels, landing legs, a sampling arm extending out, and the Chinese flag made from basalt fibers raised high.
The mini robot has significantly enhanced automation capabilities, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the unit responsible for developing the robot. It autonomously detached from the lander, moved to an appropriate position, and selected an ideal angle for photography. According to CASC, this small vehicle represents a major advancement in the development of autonomous intelligence in China’s deep space exploration, promising a positive impact on future lunar exploration activities.
Image of Chang’e 6 lander on the far side of the Moon captured by the mini robot. (Photo: CNSA).
Weighing around 5 kg, the mini robot of the Chang’e 6 mission is much smaller and lighter compared to China’s first two lunar robots: Yutu and Yutu 2. Yutu was part of the Chang’e 3 mission on the near side of the Moon in 2013, while Yutu 2 was part of the Chang’e 4 mission on the far side in 2019. Each of those robots weighed about 140 kg, with Yutu 2 still operational in the Von Kármán crater on the Moon.
China has not provided specific information, but both the lander and the robot from the Chang’e 6 mission may have ceased operations when the launch vehicle ascended into orbit at high speed. Furthermore, the lander and robot were not designed to survive the extreme cold of the lunar night. Currently, the lunar samples, estimated to weigh around 2 kg, are housed in the return capsule of the Chang’e 6 mission, expected to return to Earth on June 25th.
