(Source: Yunshang Tianjing, Zheng Tailun)
On May 3, the China National Space Administration announced that the Long March 5B Y8 carrier rocket has started loading liquid oxygen low-temperature propellant. The Chang'e 6 lunar exploration mission of the fourth phase of the lunar exploration project is scheduled to launch between 17:00 and 18:00 on May 3, with the preferred launch window set for 17:27.
The Chang'e 6 mission provides an opportunity for international cooperation. Apart from the China National Space Administration logo on the rocket fairing, it also features logos from the French National Space Research Center, the European Space Agency, and the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission. The mission carries instruments such as the ESA Lunar Ionosphere Dust Environment Analyzer, the French Radon Detection Instrument, the Italian Laser Corner Reflector, and the Pakistani Cubesat.
In 2019, China and France signed a lunar exploration cooperation agreement, with France participating in the Chang'e 6 lunar exploration mission scheduled for 2024. This marks France's first lunar landing space project and the first lunar cooperation between China and France.
