Chang'e-6 Sino French Radon Measurement Instrument Completed Exploration Mission and Became a "Permanent Resident" on the far side of the Moon
2024-07-01
The cooperation team of the Sino French radon measurement instrument in the Chang'e-6 mission has successfully completed the detection mission of the Sino French radon measurement instrument, and the completed radon measurement instrument has become a "permanent resident" on the far side of the moon. This is the first cooperation between China and France in the field of deep space exploration, and the strong cooperation between the two sides has led to the success of the radon measurement instrument detection mission. The Chang'e-6 lunar probe, which successfully completed the first human lunar backside sampling return, carried a total of four international payloads. The radon meter was one of them and also the first detection instrument deployed by France on the lunar surface. The payload is used to measure ionizing radiation on the lunar surface using a silicon-based detector. The main detection targets are alpha particles emitted by radon 222 and radon 220 isotopes and their decay products in lunar soil, ranging from 5.3 to 8.8 megaelectron volts. It also measures charged particles from the space environment, such as solar high-energy particles, galactic cosmic rays, and backscattered particles on the lunar surface. The Chang'e-6 radon measurement mission aims to study the origin and dynamics of the very thin lunar atmosphere, the thermal and physical properties of lunar soil, and the movement of surface dust. It is also the first to measure radon and polonium on the lunar surface, improving the accuracy of remote sensing measurements of uranium. According to the Sino French radon measurement instrument cooperation team, the Chang'e-6 radon measurement instrument payload equipment had been exposed to the ground atmosphere for several months before launch. On May 6th, it was first turned on during a lunar cruise at a distance of 327000 kilometers from Earth, and worked continuously for 10 hours to measure the background noise of the space environment and any natural pollution on the ground; A few days after the historic solar storm from May 10th to 11th, the instrument was turned on again on May 17th and continued to measure for 32 hours in orbit around the moon; On the evening of May 23rd, the radon meter was restarted to conduct continuous 111 hour orbital measurements of the distribution of radon and polonium on the moon; On June 2nd, Chang'e-6 successfully landed on the Apollo crater in the Aitken Basin of Antarctica. Shortly after collecting the first batch of samples, the radon meter began measuring the surface of the moon. On June 4th, the Chang'e-6 ascent carried samples and took off from the far side of the moon, ending its exploration mission and permanently staying on the far side of the moon. By transmitting data back to Earth, the collaborative team confirmed that all 16 detectors of the radon meter were working properly, obtaining data on the flux of charged particles in the solar wind and tracking their decay over time. They also observed the shielding effect of the moon on these particle fluxes. During the Chang'e-6 mission, scientists and engineers from France, together with scientific and technological personnel from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China University of Geosciences (Beijing), and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Innovation Institute, formed a radon measuring instrument cooperation team, and participated in the operation of radon measuring instruments at the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. (Lai Xin She)
Edit:Xiong Dafei Responsible editor:Li Xiang
Source:CNS.cn
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