Carrier rocket for China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe arrives at launch site

BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The carrier rocket for the Chang'e-6 lunar probe has arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Friday.

The Long March-5 Y8 carrier vehicle will undergo assembly and testing at the launch site together with the lunar probe, which has already been transported to the site, the CNSA added.

Chang'e-6 lunar probe is scheduled for launch in the first half of this year. The probe is set to collect samples from the far side of the moon, marking a mission that will be the first of its kind in human history.

The CNSA announced that scientific instruments from France, Italy and the European Space Agency/Sweden will be onboard the lander of the Chang'e-6 mission, and a Pakistani payload on the orbiter.

At present, the preparatory work at the launch site is underway as planned, the agency said.