PolyU develops and manufactures space instruments for the Nation’s Chang’e-6 mission, successfully completing the first lunar far side sampling in human history

In support of the Nation’s landmark sample return mission from the far side of the moon, a research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) collaborated with the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) to develop and manufacture the “Surface Sampling and Packing System” for this historic task. On June 3, the PolyU-developed system accomplished the tasks of automatic sample collection and packaging on the lunar surface, following the soft landing of the Chang’e-6 probe, marking a milestone in human space exploration. The probe has already taken off from the moon with the cargo of the first-ever lunar soil samples from the far side set to return to Earth on June 25.

Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) at PolyU, congratulated the research team on their outstanding achievement, and said, “With over 30 years of experience in deep space research, PolyU is the only university in Hong Kong that has participated in various national space projects. We feel honoured and grateful for the Nation’s continued trust and support in our research endeavours. We look forward to leveraging our expertise and collaborating with researchers in the Mainland to make meaningful contributions in national space missions.”

Commenting on Hong Kong’s contribution to the national space mission, Prof. YUNG Kai-leung, Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering, Chair Professor of Precision Engineering and Associate Head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations of PolyU, said the team is deeply grateful for the opportunity granted by the motherland. “Because the Moon’s rotational period is tidally locked in sync with its orbital period around the Earth, the moon’s far side remains invisible to Earth’s observation, making direct communication with the vehicle impossible. As a result, the difficulties and challenges of sampling on the lunar far side are greater than those encountered on the near side. Drawing on our experience from previous projects, we’ve successfully integrated numerous enhancements into the system, enabling a timely sampling within a more restricted timeframe. We are very grateful to our Nation for entrusting us with the task, showcasing Hong Kong’s space research capabilities and playing a pivotal role in the journey of our Nation’s space missions,” Prof. Yung explained.

Unlike previous methods adopted by other countries involving drilling or manual excavation, PolyU’s “Surface Sampling and Packing System” is designed as fully automated multi-point lunar surface sampling and with a packaging mechanism. In Hong Kong, PolyU was involved in the design and manufacturing of Samplers A and B, together with two accompanying high temperature Near-field Cameras for multiple-point surface sample collections, and automatic vision guidance of the sampling, sample deposition and sample container pickup and precision placement into the ascender. The PolyU-designed and manufactured flight units also included a primary sealing and packaging system that consisted of a sample container and its sealing mechanism.

The sampling process briefly started with the Near-field Cameras mounted on the robotic arm next to Samplers A and B. These Cameras guided the sampling and sample deposition into the PolyU sample container in the primary sealing and packaging system. Upon the completion of the sampling process, the sample container was sealed by the sealing and packaging device for picking up by the sampler which was vision-guided by the Near-field Cameras for automatic precision insertion into the ascender for transporting back to Earth.

Since 2010, PolyU has been participating in the Nation’s space exploration programmes and collaborating with the China Academy of Space Technology to develop and manufacture sophisticated space instruments. PolyU researchers have also used advanced topographic mapping technologies to evaluate and identify the best landing sites for spacecraft. These contributions supported the success of the Nation’s lunar exploration missions, including Chang’e-3, Chang’e-4 and Chang’e-5, as well as the Mars exploration mission Tianwen-1. In 2021, PolyU established the “Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations”. In 2022, the University established the “Joint Research Centre of Advanced Aerospace Propulsion Technology” in collaboration with the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology.

PolyU engages in local STEM outreach initiatives, fostering enthusiasm for space exploration among local youth. The University is committed to elevating young people’s passion for a career in space technology thus making contributions to the scientific development of Hong Kong, the Nation and the world.

To promote STEM education among young people, PolyU has launched “Science World: Exploring Space to Benefit Mankind”, a science education programme for secondary school students that fosters creativity and innovation in space exploration. Under this initiative, the championship team from from Diocesan Boys’ School, under the guidance of Prof. Yung and his team, the same experimental proposal has been preliminarily accepted by the China Manned Space Agency, offering local students a unique opportunity for their experiment to be performed at the China space station in the future.

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