Chang'e-6 enters lunar orbit ahead of far side landing attempt

Chang'e-6 enters lunar orbit ahead of far side landing attempt

HELSINKI — China’s Chang’e-6 lunar far side sample return spacecraft entered orbit around the moon late Tuesday, in another step towards collecting lunar samples. The Chang’e-6 orbiter completed a braking burn at 10:21 p.m. Eastern, May 7 (0221 UTC May 8), slowing the craft down to allow it to be captured by the moon’s gravity, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced. The mission launched May 3 and embarked on a roughly 112-hour journey to the moon. It is the …