Internet Sleuths Identify Mysterious Wheeled Object on China's Chang'e-6 Lander: Could This Be a Mini Rover?
Following the successful launch of the spacecraft, the China Association for Science and Technology published new images of the lander. Internet detectives quickly noticed a small grey object with wheels secured to the side. It resembles a mini rover, but its purpose remains unknown.
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Chang'e-6, China's latest mission to the Moon, seems to be carrying a secret rover.
Following the successful launch of the spacecraft, the China Association for Science and Technology published new images of the lander. Internet detectives quickly noticed a small grey object with wheels secured to the side. It resembles a mini rover, but its purpose remains unknown.
Taking to X, previously Twitter, Andrew Jones, a journalist closely tracking China's space programme, wrote in a post, "Yeah, okay. That looks like a previously undisclosed mini rover on the side of the Chang'e-6 lander".
What will the mini rover do? No one knows yet.
As per a Live Science report, a translated statement from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics revealed that the small robot has an infrared imaging spectrometer. Its purpose, however, remains unclear. But, given its small size and the conditions it will face on the Moon, SpaceNews predicts that whatever the mission, it will fall short.
"Given the diminutive size of the vehicle and short lifetime of the mission lander, it is likely the rover will have limited operational time and objectives."
Previous sneaky space missions by China
According to SpaceNews, this is not the first time China has sneaked undisclosed payloads onto its spacecraft.
Previously, in 2021, during China's Tianwen-1 mission to Mars, the nation's spacecraft ejected a disposable spacecraft that took pictures of Tianwen-1 on its way to the red planet.
The Tianwen-1 orbiter was also equipped with another detachable camera that took selfies while in orbit around Mars.
Further, the Zhurong rover, that was part of the Tianwen-1 mission, also dropped a camera on the red planet.
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