China’s Chang’e 6 made headlines earlier this year for being the first mission to return samples from the far side of the Moon. Now, that same spacecraft’s cruise module has ventured even farther—into a region of space where one of NASA’s most iconic observatories is already at work. And while Beijing is keeping quiet, we can make some educated guesses about what’s going on.
After successfully delivering a capsule of Moon rocks back to Earth in June, the Chang’e 6 cruise module has now been detected near Lagrange Point 2 (L2)—the same deep-space sweet spot occupied by the James Webb Space Telescope. It’s not the first time China has recycled its lunar hardware for future experiments, and this move appears to follow that pattern.
Gaining experience in deep space
It was amateur radio trackers who first noticed the probe had arrived at L2, roughly 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) from Earth. This special spot in space offers a kind of gravitational balance, where the pull of the Earth and Sun cancel each other out. The result? A stable location where spacecraft can orbit with minimal fuel use.
Though China’s space agency hasn’t said anything officially, it’s likely that the cruise module is being used to test operations in this environment—fine-tuning maneuvers, establishing communications protocols, and collecting data about space conditions near L2. It’s a smart move if you’re planning future missions in the same region.
The five Lagrange points of the Earth-Sun system. Chang’e 6 orbits the L2 point. © ESA
Preparing the ground for China’s own Webb-class telescope
This remote corner of space—far from Earth’s light pollution—is ideal for sensitive astronomical instruments. China is gearing up to send its Tianlin space telescope there, a powerful observatory with a six-meter mirror, the same size as Webb’s. One of its main objectives? To search for biosignatures and signs of life on distant exoplanets.
The Earth 2.0 telescope, another Chinese mission aimed at finding Earth-like planets, is also slated to launch toward L2 in 2028.
As for Chang’e 6’s cruise module, how long will it stay parked there? That’s unclear. If this stop is temporary, the craft might have another destination in its sights—perhaps a near-Earth asteroid. That would serve as a scouting mission for Tianwen-2, China’s upcoming sample-return mission expected to launch next year.
Daniel Chrétien
Science writer
Passionate about space news, this self-taught enthusiast started the blog Rêves d’Espace before founding Spacekiwi, which he continues to develop with specialized content. He also works as a freelance journalist for Espace & Exploration and the European Laboratory for Future Studies, where he connects space developments with geopolitics, economics, and society. He hopes to preserve space as a domain of peace and scientific progress.
