China's Chang'e-6 mission to carry European, French lunar research payloads

(ECNS) -- China's Chang'e-6 mission, a robotic expedition to the moon, will carry payloads from European and French research centers to space, according to two memorandums of understanding (MoU) signed last week.

Chang'e-6 probe will carry a lunar surface negative ion tester developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and a radon detector payload from the French Space Agency (CNES).

Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), signed the two MoUs while meeting with Josef Aschbacher, director general at the ESA, and Philippe Baptiste, president of the CNES, in Paris on June 8.

The lunar surface negative ion analyzer will conduct fundamental research on planetary science questions including in-situ backscattering and sputtering negative ion detection on the lunar surface.

The French payload will be used to measure radon gas and its decay products on the lunar surface and optimize lunar gas transport models.