Chang’e-6 Returns to Earth with World’s First Lunar Far Side Sample
Chang’e-6 Returns to Earth with World’s First Lunar Far Side Sample
At 2:07 PM Beijing time today, the Chang’e-6 return capsule successfully landed in the predetermined area of Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia, marking the complete success of the Chang’e-6 mission and the world’s first sample return from the far side of the Moon.
The Chang’e-6 mission was launched on May 3, 2024, and successfully landed on the far side of the Moon on June 1, 2024. The mission’s primary objective was to collect samples from the far side of the Moon and return them to Earth for scientific analysis.
The return capsule contains approximately 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of lunar samples, including rocks, soil, and regolith. These samples are expected to provide valuable insights into the geological history and composition of the far side of the Moon, which is still relatively unexplored.
After the necessary ground handling procedures, the Chang’e-6 return capsule will be transported by air to Beijing to open and retrieve the sample containers and associated materials. The National Space Administration (CNSA) will hold a handover ceremony at an appropriate time to officially transfer the lunar samples to the ground application system for subsequent storage, analysis, and research.
The successful return of the Chang’e-6 mission on the 100th birthday of Deng Jiaxian, the “father of China’s two bombs,” adds a unique touch of historical symmetry to this momentous occasion.
OpenAI to Discontinue API Services in China
OpenAI has announced that it will cease API services to unsupported countries, including China, starting July 9. In a warning message to developers, OpenAI stated that additional measures would be taken to block API traffic from unsupported countries and regions.
This move has left many developers scrambling for alternatives, with domestic large language model companies stepping up to fill the void.
For instance, ChatGLM has launched a “Special Moving Plan” specifically for C OpenAI API users, aiming to help them transition smoothly to domestic large language models. The GLM series is a benchmark among domestically produced open-source large models, and its GLM-4 model has even outperformed the likes of Llama3-70B-Instruct and Claude 3 Sonnet in benchmark tests.
As the situation develops, more Chinese AI companies are expected to follow suit with similar initiatives to fill the gap left by OpenAI’s service discontinuation.
Japanese Citizens Attacked in Suzhou, Chinese Citizen Seriously Injured While Intervening
A knife attack in Suzhou, China, on Monday, left two Japanese citizens injured and a Chinese citizen seriously wounded, local police reported. The incident occurred in the city’s high-tech development zone around 4 PM.
According to police, the suspect, Zhou, is a 52-year-old unemployed man from out of town. Police officers arrived at the scene promptly and apprehended the suspect. The injured individuals were rushed to the hospital for treatment. The Chinese citizen, who sustained severe injuries while trying to protect the others, remains in critical condition. One of the Japanese victims is undergoing treatment but is not in life-threatening danger, while the other has been discharged from the hospital.
At a regular press conference on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning was required to address the attack in Suzhou and another incident involving four Americans who were stabbed in Jilin Province earlier this month.
“We are very sorry that such an incident occurred,” Mao Ning said that the police had initially determined the incident to be an isolated case and were still investigating.
“Similar isolated cases can happen in any country in the world,” Mao Ning said. “China will continue to take effective measures to protect the safety of foreigners in China, just as we protect our own citizens.”