Groundbreaking Space Missions: Boeing's Starliner and China's Lunar Probe

Boeing and NASA are preparing for the Starliner space capsule's crew flight on June 5 after an initial abort. Meanwhile, China successfully landed on the moon's far side to collect samples, aiming to uncover insights into the solar system's origins. These missions highlight global advancements in space exploration.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Boeing, NASA target June 5 for Starliner's debut crew flight

Boeing and NASA said on Sunday that their teams are preparing to launch the new Starliner space capsule on June 5 after scrubbing its inaugural test flight launch attempt on Saturday. The Starliner capsule had stood ready for blast-off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday before a ground system computer triggered an automatic abort command that shut down the launch sequence.

China lands on moon's far side in historic sample-retrieval mission

China landed an uncrewed spacecraft on the far side of the moon on Sunday, overcoming a key hurdle in its landmark mission to retrieve the world's first rock and soil samples from the dark lunar hemisphere. The landing elevates China's space power status in a global rush to the moon, where countries including the United States are hoping to exploit lunar minerals to sustain long-term astronaut missions and moon bases within the next decade.

China's lunar probe could return with answer to origins of solar system

China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe looks set to begin its historic journey back to Earth from the moon's far side after collecting samples that scientists expect will help answer key questions about the early evolution of the solar system. Chang'e-6, named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess, was launched on May 3 from the southern Chinese island province of Hainan.

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