Moon sample return mission: China’s Chang’e 6 Vs India’s Chandrayaan-4 mission

China launched a “first-of-its-kind mission”, Chang'e-6 spacecraft, on Friday. The lunar probe is expected to collect samples from the far side of the moon and bring those samples to Earth for research purposes, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The launch of the Chang'e-6 lunar probe comes amid the buzz around the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) planning its next Moon mission – Chandrayaan-4, also aimed at bringing back lunar samples.

Here's a look at the difference between China's latest Chang'e-6 mission, its 2026 mission, Chang'e 7, which aims to explore lunar south pole and India's Chandrayaan 4 mission.

Chang'e 6 lunar probe

As per the CNSA, the Chang'e 6 is the world's first attempt to retrieve substances from the moon's far side – the side which is not visible from the Earth.

The Chang'e-6 lunar probe was launched onboard the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province.

Components: The spacecraft consists of four components – an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a re-entry module.

Execution: It is scheduled to land on the moon in the first half of this year. After the probe reaches lunar orbit, the components will separate into two parts. The orbiter and re-entry module will remain in orbit, while the lander and ascender head for the moon's surface.

Soft landing: The lander-ascender combination will make a soft landing. It will land in the South Pole-Aitken Basin – a gigantic crater on the far side and also the largest, oldest and deepest basin recognised on the moon, the CNSA said.

The aim is to collect up to 2 kilograms of stones and soil, packed in a vacuumed metal container inside the ascender.

In-situ operations: The lander-ascender combination will then start using a drill and a mechanical arm to gather lunar rocks and soil.

Re-entry into the orbit: After carrying out the surface operations, the ascender's rocket will elevate it to lunar orbit to dock with the re-entry module. It will transfer samples to the module, which will carry them to Earth.

What we know about Chandrayaan 4 mission

While Chang'e 6 mission aims to bring back samples from the Moon's far side, India's Chandrayaan 4 mission is being built to bring samples from the Moon's – reportedly from the south pole region. It is expected to be launched in 2027.

Next lunar mission in the making

ISRO chief S Somanath had said earlier that the mission to bring back lunar samples is yet to be approved, while the scientists are still working on the concept.

He recently said Chandrayaan-4 is the first step towards achieving the goal of India landing an astronaut on the moon in 2040.

"Chandrayaan-4 is the first step in the direction....to step a craft on the moon and collect sample and bring it back to Earth. It demonstrates the full cycle of going to the moon and coming back to Earth," Somanath was quoted by PTI as saying.

He had said that going to the Moon and bringing back a sample is a very complex work. "...another rocket has to take off from the Moon, come back to the Earth and land on Earth which is double the work of what we have done last time," Somanath said.

How Chandrayaan 4 mission may be executed:

Launch vehicle: The next lunar mission will likely involve a PSLV and an LVM3 as launch vehicle options.

Spacecraft modules: The mission will include five spacecraft modules - Re-entry module (RM), Transfer Module (TM), Ascender Module (AM), Descender Module (DM) and Propulsion Module (PM).

Step 1: The first step will be about sending a lander and an "ascender" to the moon's surface to collect samples. According to Space.com, this would likely occur near the landing site of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft near the lunar south pole – the Shiv Shakti point, the Indian Express reported

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Step 2: The other two modules of the Chandrayaan-4 mission — a transfer module and a reentry module — may fly later on top of a second rocket but remain parked in lunar orbit, according to media reports.

Step 3, after the landing: According to reports, the lander and ascender may touch down on the rim of an unspecified crater near the south pole. "The ascender module, carrying the collected samples, would launch from the moon's surface and transfer its samples to the reentry module. The transfer and reentry modules would then head back toward Earth," the report added.

ALSO READ: Chandrayaan 4 mission will be 'extremely challenging': ISRO chief Somanath shares details about next lunar project

China's Chang'e 7

China's Chang'e-7 mission is scheduled for launch around 2026, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said. This is around the time when Chandrayaan 4 mission is expected to be launched.

The Chang'e-7 mission aims to survey the lunar surface environment, water, ice and volatile elements of lunar soil in the lunar south pole. It will also carry out research on the lunar terrain, composition and structure.

The mission will carry six scientific instruments developed by six countries and one international organization.

Countries that brought samples from the Moon

The United States, the former Soviet Union and China have brought lunar samples back to Earth, but none has ever obtained samples from the far side of the moon.