On Tuesday, June 25, China’s Chang'e-6 made history by becoming the first spacecraft to return samples from the Moon's far side, the hemisphere that is never visible from Earth.
"This is the first mission in human history to return samples from the far side of the Moon," stated Long Xiao, a planetary geologist at China University of Geosciences, in an email to The New York Times. He continued, "This achievement is a cause for celebration for all humanity and a significant milestone for scientists worldwide."
Here are some details about the Chang'e-6 mission and why scientists are eager to explore the Moon's far side.
First Country to Bring Sample from Far Side
With the successful return of the Chang'e 6 probe on Tuesday, China achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first nation to bring back rock and soil samples from the Moon's far side. The probe safely touched down in northern China's Inner Mongolian region on Tuesday afternoon.
In a televised news conference following the landing, China National Space Administration Director Zhang Kejian announced that the Chang'e 6 Lunar Exploration Mission was a complete success.
Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the Chang'e 6 team and scientists for their outstanding achievements, calling it a "landmark achievement in our country's efforts to become a space and technological power." He highlighted the mission's success as a significant step forward for China's space exploration endeavors.
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Why is this Mission Important?
The Moon's far side is commonly called the "dark side" because it is never visible from Earth, not because it lacks sunlight. The Moon is tidally locked with Earth, so we only see one side, referred to as the near side.
Recently, the far side has attracted attention due to its distinct features. According to The New York Times, it has a thicker crust, more craters, and fewer maria, which are plains formed by ancient lava flows, compared to the near side.
Chinese scientists are hoping that the samples will contain volcanic rock that is 2.5 million years old as well as other materials that can assist them figure out why the two sides of the moon are different geographically.
"What geologic activity is responsible for the differences between the two sides?" is one of the most important scientific topics that the samples "are expected to answer in lunar science research," said Zongyu Yue, a geologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a statement published in Innovation Monday, a journal that is published in collaboration with the university.
About the Chang’e 6 Misssion
The Chang'e-6 mission lasted 53 days. After entering lunar orbit, the orbiter circled the Moon while its lander descended into the 2,500-kilometer-wide South Pole-Aitken basin, one of the largest impact craters in the solar system.
The impact that formed this basin likely disturbed debris from the lunar mantle. Recovering this material could provide scientists with valuable insights into the Moon's interior history, as noted by The New York Times.
The lander collected samples using scooping and drilling techniques, then launched an ascent vehicle to transfer the samples to the orbiter's service module. This module subsequently returned to Earth, successfully completing the mission.
China has been steadily advancing its space missions. With the success of Chang'e-6, China has become the first country to successfully bring samples from two far-side regions of the Moon. Previously, China’s fifth lunar mission, Chang'e-5, brought back 1.7 kg of material from the near-side area of the Moon, known as Oceanus Procellarum.
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