China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe has achieved a historic milestone by flying off the far side of the moon. The mission, which began Sunday, landed in a large crater near the Moon’s South Pole—an event celebrated by international scientists and a similar mission in 2019, making it China’s closing moment so two that prevailed on the far side of the Moon.
The goal of the Chang’e-6 mission is to bring back rock and soil samples from this previously unexplored region. Scientists believe the samples could provide valuable insight into the moon’s geologic history, which may differ from nearby rocks
The Chang’e-6 craft’s collection module lifted off at about 07:38 on Tuesday (Monday 23:38 GMT) and began its journey back to Earth. This module contains valuable samples collected during the mission. Chinese space officials described the mission as “an unprecedented feat in human lunar exploration”.
The Moon’s far side, also known as the “dark side,” presents unique challenges due to its distance from Earth and its rugged terrain—characterized by large craters and relatively flat terrain —therefore, astronauts rely on the satellite to communicate with the Chang ‘e-6 and you do.
After spending two days gathering rocks and soil with a mechanical arm and a drill, Chang’e-6 collected about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of material The craft worked in the South Pole Aitken Basin, which consists of large craters that one of the known in the solar system
The next step is to transfer the samples to the re-entry capsule which is destined to return to Earth. The capsule is expected to land in the Inner Mongolia desert around June 25th.
China’s space agency has released videos showing the Chang’e-6 craft collecting samples and waving the Chinese flag—a proud moment for the country. Named after Chang’e, the moon goddess of Chinese mythology, it represents China’s sixth attempt at a moon landing.
As the Chang’e-6 ascent module begins its return journey, scientists are eagerly awaiting the analysis of these lunar samples, hoping to unlock secrets about our celestial neighbour’s ancient past around.
