China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe just pulled off a sci-fi movie move, landing on the moon’s mysterious far side Sunday to collect samples—and the world’s science community is cheering. Scientists from France, Italy, Pakistan, and the European Space Agency (ESA) thanked China for turning this mission into a global science party, with four international payloads hitching a ride to unlock lunar secrets.
High-tech gadgets onboard include:
- France’s DORN (detecting radioactive moon gas
)
- ESA’s NILS (tracking solar wind particles
)
- Italy’s laser mirror for Earth-Moon FaceTime
- Pakistan’s ICUBE-Q satellite (moon selfie cam
)
This collab isn’t just about rocks—it’s humanity’s latest group project to decode how water and gases move on the moon. 'More hands make lighter work,' said one researcher, highlighting how shared tech accelerates space breakthroughs.
Fun fact: The Pakistani satellite already snapped stunning moon pics after separating from Chang’e-6’s orbiter in May.
Reference(s):
Foreign scientists thank China for role in Chang'e-6 lunar mission
cgtn.com