International
China's Chang'e-6 lands on Moon's far side to collect samples
Beijing, June 2 (IANS) China’s Chang’e-6 touched down on the far side of the Moon on Sunday morning and will collect samples from this rarely explored terrain for the first time in human history, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced.
Supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, the lander-ascender combination of the Chang’e-6 probe successfully landed at the designated landing area at 6:23 a.m. (Beijing Time) in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, Xinhua news agency reported.
Chang’e-6 consists of an orbiter, a returner, a lander, and an ascender.
Since its launch on May 3 this year, it has gone through various stages such as Earth-Moon transfer, near-Moon braking, lunar orbiting, and landing descent. The lander-ascender combination separated from the orbiter-returner combination on May 30, said the CNSA.
The lander-ascender combination began the powered descent at 6:09 a.m. The main engine with variable thrust was ignited, and the combination quickly adjusted its attitude and gradually approached the lunar surface.
During the descent, an autonomous visual obstacle avoidance system was used to automatically detect obstacles, with a visible light camera selecting a comparatively safe landing area based on the brightness and darkness of the lunar surface.
The combination then hovered about 100 metres above the safe landing area, using a laser 3D scanner to detect obstacles on the lunar surface to select the final landing site before a slow vertical descent.
As the combination approached the lunar surface, it shut down the engine and touched down via free fall, protected by a cushioning system.
The Chang’e-6 mission is tasked with collecting and returning samples from the moon’s far side, the first endeavour of its kind in the history of human lunar exploration.
It has achieved a breakthrough in the design and control technology of the lunar retrograde orbit and aims to realise key technologies of intelligent and rapid sampling, as well as takeoff and ascent from the far side of the moon, the report said.
The landing site is at an impact crater, Apollo Basin, located within the SPA Basin.
The choice was made for the Apollo Basin’s potential value of scientific exploration, as well as the conditions of the landing area, including communication and telemetry conditions and the flatness of the terrain, said Huang Hao, a space expert from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
Huang added that the terrain on the far side of the moon is more rugged than the near side, with fewer continuous flat areas.
However, the Apollo Basin is relatively flatter than other areas on the far side, which is conducive to landing.
The lander is equipped with multiple sensors, including microwave, laser, and optical imaging sensors, which can measure distance and speed and identify obstacles on the lunar surface, Huang said.
To prevent interference to optical sensors by lunar dust during landing, the lander is also equipped with gamma-ray sensors to accurately measure the height through particle rays, ensuring that the engine can be shut down on time and the lander can touch down smoothly on the lunar surface, he added.
At the same time, the landing legs play their role as buffers, absorbing the impact energy of landing and ensuring the safety of the equipment on the lander.
After the landing, the probe is scheduled to complete sampling within two days. It has adopted two methods of moon sampling, which include using a drill to collect subsurface samples and grabbing samples on the surface with a robotic arm.
According to Jin Shengyi, another space expert from the CASC, the Chang’e-6 probe development team has built a simulation lab in advance to ensure a smooth sampling process.
The team members will set up a full-scale replica of the sampling area based on Chang’e-6 exploration results on the environment, rock distribution, and lunar soil conditions around the landing site.
Using this simulation, they will develop and verify sampling strategies and equipment control procedures to ensure the accuracy of instructions.
Due to the moon’s obstruction, the Earth-moon communication window period on the far side of the moon, even with the help of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite service, is still shorter than that on the near side.
Therefore, the sampling time of Chang’e-6 will be reduced to about 14 hours, compared with the 22 hours used by its predecessor, Chang’e-5.
To save time and improve efficiency, the development team has made the sampling process more intelligent, allowing Chang’e-6 to execute instructions and make judgments autonomously to reduce the Earth-moon interactions, Jin said.
For example, after the ground control sends an instruction, the probe will execute the corresponding program in multiple actions and then use the real-time data collected by the sensors to evaluate if the instruction is well executed, thus autonomously working in a closed loop without the ground control sending command on each action.
About 1,000 instructions were sent during the entire sampling process of Chang’e-5, while for Chang’e-6, the number is expected to reduce to about 400, the report said.
–IANS
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Ulan Bator, July 30 (IANS) A suspected bubonic plague case has been reported in the western Mongolian province of Govi-Altai, according to local media on Tuesday.
The individual from the Taishir soum (administrative subdivision) in the province has been recently hospitalised after consuming marmot meat, Xinhua news agency reported.
In response, at least 13 people who were in close contact with the patient are being isolated, and the soum has been placed under quarantine.
Although hunting marmots is illegal in Mongolia, many Mongolians regard the rodent as a delicacy and ignore the law.
The National Centre for Zoonotic Diseases has indicated that 17 out of Mongolia’s 21 provinces are at risk of bubonic plague infection.
Bubonic plague, a bacterial disease spread mostly by fleas on wild rodents and other animals, can kill an adult in less than 24 hours if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organisation.
–IANS
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Canberra, July 30 (IANS) Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged all Australians in Lebanon to leave the country.
He told reporters on Tuesday that the government’s official advice is for Australians to avoid travelling to Lebanon amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Xinhua news agency reported.
“The travel advice very clearly is don’t go to Lebanon,” he said.
“People who are there who are Australian citizens should ensure that they take advantage of the commercial flights that are available out of Lebanon at this time, he said.
Australia’s Smartraveller service, which is run by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), on Monday issued a renewed warning against travelling to Lebanon due to the volatile security situation.
It said Australians in Lebanon should leave the country immediately, warning that the security situation could deteriorate rapidly with little or no notice.
Several airlines suspended flights to and from Beirut on Monday local time due to the security situation.
“This is a troubling area. We have been issuing these travel warnings for many months now, and it is important that people are cognisant of those warnings,” Albanese said on Tuesday.
In the 2021 Australian census, over 248,000 Australians reported having Lebanese ancestry, including 87,343 who were born in the Middle Eastern country.
According to the DFAT, approximately 15,000 Australians normally reside in Lebanon.
–IANS
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Changsha, July 30 (IANS) Death toll in the torrential rain in China’s Hunan Province has risen to four, while three people remained missing, local authorities said on Tuesday.
The city of Zixing has received record precipitation since Friday due to the impact of Typhoon Gaemi, with 24-hour rainfall exceeding 645 mm at one spot, said the city’s flood control and drought relief headquarters, Xinhua news agency reported.
The deaths since Monday night were reported from four villages in Zhoumensi Town and Bamianshan Yao Township under the city, according to the headquarters.
The rain has toppled or damaged the dwellings of 867 households in the city and caused 1,345 cases of road cave-ins.
Officials said communications with many villages were unstable, making it difficult for timely updates on the situation.
The city has dispatched more than 5,400 professional rescuers.
A total of 11,379 people have been evacuated for safety concerns.
–IANS
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Hanoi, July 30 (IANS) Five miners were buried after a coal mine collapsed in Ha Long City, Vietnam’s northern province of Quang Ninh, Vietnam News Agency reported.
The incident occurred on Monday night, Xinhua news agency reported.
The miners were working for Hon Gai Coal Company under the Vietnam Coal-Mineral Group.
Identities of all five workers have been identified as the search and rescue efforts finished at 5.28 a.m. on Tuesday.
The case is being further investigated to clarify the cause.
–IANS
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Sydney, July 30 (IANS) Australian police said on Tuesday that reports of human trafficking and slavery reached an all-time high in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, with an annual hike of 12 per cent.
Authorities received 382 reports of modern slavery and human trafficking offences, recording an increase of 12.35 per cent from 340 reports the previous fiscal year, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the latest figures released by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
Among them, 109 reports were related to human trafficking, with 91 regarding forced marriage. There were also 69 reports of forced labour.
AFP Human Exploitation Commander Helen Schneider noted that the statistics on human trafficking were more than just numbers.
“They represent innocent lives in the community. By raising awareness of the laws in Australia and supporting victims, we can make strides in eradicating this crime,” Schneider said.
“This increase is likely attributed to increased awareness of these crimes in the Australian community,” the commander added.
Tuesday also marked the United Nations (UN) World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, with this year’s theme focusing on “Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking.”
Data from the UN suggested that one in three victims of human trafficking globally is a child, and the majority of these trafficked children are girls.
–IANS
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