French Payload Aboard Chang’e-6 Successfully Completes Mission

Photo: Official WeChat account of Chinese Academy of Science

The French instrument on China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe, called Detection of Outgassing RadoN (DORN), has successfully finished its mission and is now a “permanent resident” on the far side of the moon. This announcement was made by a Chinese research institute under the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) on Monday.

During the Chang’e-6 mission, a team of Chinese and French scientists, engineers, and technicians worked together to operate the radon gas detector at the National Astronomical Observatories of China. This mission marks the first time China and France have collaborated in deep space exploration.

DORN, the first French device to work on the moon, used a silicon-based detector to measure ionizing radiation on the lunar surface. It detected radon isotopes and studied how volatile compounds move and spread in the lunar environment. The scientific goals of DORN included understanding the origin and behavior of the moon’s very thin atmosphere, the thermal and physical properties of lunar soil, and the movement of lunar dust.

According to the research team from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of CAS, the French instrument was first turned on May 6 during the lunar orbit cruise period, about 320,000 kilometers from Earth. It measured the background noise of the space environment and natural pollution on the lunar surface.

On May 17, DORN took measurements while in lunar orbit, working continuously for 32 hours. The data sent back to Earth confirmed that all 16 detectors were functioning properly. The instrument gathered data on the flux of charged particles in the solar wind, tracked their decay over time, and observed how the moon shielded these particle fluxes.

On May 23, DORN was powered on for the third time and worked continuously on the moon for 111 hours. On June 2, shortly after the Chang’e-6 lunar probe landed on the far side of the moon to collect the first batch of samples, DORN completed its measurements of the lunar surface.

The Chang’e-6 mission included four payloads developed through international cooperation, with contributions from France, Italy, the European Space Agency (ESA), and Pakistan. Following the successful operation of Chang’e-6, China plans to expand its international collaborations in future lunar exploration missions, said Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the China National Space Administration’s (CNSA) international cooperation department, on June 27.

China’s upcoming Chang’e-7 lunar mission, scheduled for launch around 2026, will carry six international scientific instruments. The Chang’e-8 mission, planned for around 2028, will offer 200 kilograms of international payload capacity and has already received over 30 applications, according to Liu.

Experts noted that China has always maintained an open and inclusive attitude toward international cooperation, which is rare in today’s complex global landscape. While the US continues to promote the “China threat” narrative in a so-called space race, China has been steadily progressing and achieving significant results, said Wang Ya’nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, to the Global Times.

Wang highlighted that China’s series of successful space missions have demonstrated high capability and reliability, which are essential for good partnerships. This allows for richer samples and more ideal scientific results to be achieved.