China’s lunar space probe, Chang’e-6, has returned to Earth with the first samples ever collected from the Moon’s far side. After a nearly two-month mission filled with challenges, the China space probe landed in the Inner Mongolia desert on Tuesday. These samples are highly anticipated by scientists, as they could provide crucial insights into planetary formation.
China is the only country to have landed on the Moon’s far side, having done so previously in 2019. This side, which faces away from Earth, is difficult to reach due to its distance and rugged terrain.
The Chang’e-6 mission, a significant achievement for China, has garnered attention from the US. State media broadcast officials proudly planting the Chinese flag in Inner Mongolia after the capsule’s landing. President Xi Jinping congratulated the mission’s team and expressed hopes for continued exploration of deep space to benefit humanity and advance China.
Moon’s south pole
Launched in early May, Chang’e-6 landed near the Moon’s south pole a few weeks later, completing its 53-day mission. This mission is China’s sixth to the Moon and second to the far side, with the probe named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e. During its mission, the probe used a drill and robotic arm to collect soil and rocks, took surface photos, and planted a Chinese flag.
Catherine Heymans, Scotland’s astronomer royal, expressed excitement about the successful landing. She highlighted the potential of these samples to test theories about the Moon’s formation, such as whether it resulted from a collision with an early version of Earth. She noted the geological differences between the Moon’s near and far sides, which have puzzled scientists, and hoped the samples would reveal more about the Moon’s core composition.
Over the past decade, China has invested heavily in its space program to catch up with the US and Russia. It plans to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and eventually build a base on the lunar south pole. Meanwhile, the US aims to return astronauts to the Moon by 2026 with its Artemis 3 mission.