China Prepares for Lunar Lander Launch Amid US Setback

Following a fuel leak that disrupted a US mission, China's National Space Agency is set to launch a lunar lander aiming to collect samples from the moon's far side.

• China's National Space Agency (CNSA) is preparing to launch a lunar lander, Chang'e 6, within the first half of this year, aiming to collect samples from the far side of the moon.
• The announcement comes after a US mission to the moon, backed by NASA and carried out by private firm Astrobotic, was thwarted by a critical fuel leak.
• China's mission will carry equipment from France, Italy, Sweden, and the European Space Agency, and its orbiter will carry a Pakistani payload.
• Both China and the US have aggressive moon landing programs, with China aiming to bring humans to the moon by the end of the decade, and the US planning a manned mission for 2026.
• Despite the setback with Astrobotic's lander, another US company, Intuitive Machines, is preparing to launch its own NASA-backed lunar lander, IM-1, in the coming weeks.

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