China's lunar probe used artificial intelligence for 'selfie' from Moon

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - A "selfie" of China's robotic lunar probe on the Moon’s far side was captured using artificial intelligence, according to local media on Thursday.

After a sample collection was completed on Monday, the four-wheeled 5-kilogram (11-pound) rover of the Chang'e-6 mission took some photos, including of the Chinese flag unfurled on the Moon.

"It moved autonomously across the lunar surface to find the 'best' angle for the picture," the South China Morning Post reported.

The Chang'e-6 lunar lander successfully touched down on the Moon's far side on Sunday and lifted off from its far side Tuesday morning with samples it collected.

Compared to the Chang'e-5, which retrieved samples from the Moon's near side, the Chang'e-6 has seen improvements in the autonomy and reliability of its navigation, guidance, and control system to tackle the challenges posed by the uncertainties of the Moon's far side during its takeoff and ascent.

Meanwhile, Beijing Thursday successfully launched the TEE-01B, Naxing-3A, and Naxing-3B satellites aboard the Ceres-1 commercial carrier rocket at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's Inner Mongolia region.

It was the 14th launch by Ceres series rockets, while overall, it was China's 28th space launch this year.