China races against time to collect lunar samples after Chang’e-6 lands on Moon’s far side

A Chinese spacecraft has successfully landed on the Moon’s far side but engineers now face a race against time to collect and return precious samples to Earth.

The Chang’e-6 lander touched down at the South Pole-Aitken (Spa) Basin at 6.23am, Beijing time, on June 2 (2.23am GST), with a small window of only 14 hours to retrieve samples due to limited communication with the vehicle.

China deployed the Queqiao relay satellite, which has been in orbit around the Moon since 2018, to help with this critical communication link.

Samples may have been collected already but the China National Space Administration has not yet confirmed this.

“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,” China’s state news agency Xinhua reported.

“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.”

The mission, which began on May 3, is to last for 53 days, with the craft scheduled to land back on Earth in last week of June.

This is the country’s fourth successful lunar landing since 2013 and second landing on the far side of the Moon.

Retrieving samples

The Chang'e-6 vehicle consists of four modules: an orbiter, lander, ascent vehicle and return capsule.

Now that the lander has touched down, it will drill into the soil and use its robotic arm to collect rocks and soil.

Engineers have programmed the vehicle to “execute instructions and judgments autonomously” so it will not have to rely on real-time communication from ground control.

It is equipped with sensors that measure speed, distances and any obstacles during the sample retrieval process.

During the Chang'e-5 sample return mission in 2020, for example, ground control had to send the vehicle 1,000 commands, while this latest mission requires only 400 because it is mostly automated.

Once collected, the samples will be transferred to the ascent vehicle, which will be launched from the lunar surface and dock with the orbiter.

Emerging space power

By bringing back samples from the Moon’s far side, scientists hope to gain new insights into the Moon’s history and composition.

These samples could reveal information about the Spa Basin, one of the largest and oldest impact craters in the solar system, offering clues about the early solar system’s processes.

The mission also reflects China’s growing capabilities and ambitions in space exploration.

Over the past two decades, China has made significant progress, from its first astronaut entering space to building its own space station, Tiangong.

Chang’e-6 is part of China’s broader lunar exploration programme, which could pave the way for future crewed missions to the Moon. China hopes to land a human on the lunar surface by 2030.

China releases first images of its completed Tiangong space station

China hopes the mission will provide valuable experience and data, setting the stage for more complex endeavours, including potential lunar bases and further exploration of the Moon.

China was once known to pursue its space activities independently, with limited collaboration from international players.

But it is now opening up to more foreign partnerships, with miniature satellites from Pakistan, Sweden, France and Italy carried as payloads on the Chang'e-6.

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
Source: Can be carried from distant regions

If coronavirus overwhelms Gaza, there will be few others to blame but Israel

Profiting from loss: how business in illegal Israeli settlements continues unchecked

Bedouin mass eviction is part of Israel's concerted efforts to drive Palestinians from their historic lands

Sunday's games

All times UAE:

Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace, 4pm

Manchester City v Arsenal, 6.15pm

Everton v Watford, 8.30pm

Chelsea v Manchester United, 8.30pm

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.	United States
2.	China
3.	UAE
4.	Japan
5	Norway
6.	Canada
7.	Singapore
8.	Australia
9.	Saudi Arabia
10.	South Korea

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.

Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.

Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.

When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety