China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft has successfully landed on the Moon’s far side, a region rarely explored. The mission, launched on May 3, aims to collect valuable rock and soil samples from the South Pole-Aitken Basin, potentially revealing some of the Moon’s oldest rocks.
Landing on the far side is challenging due to communication difficulties, but China achieved this before with Chang’e 4 in 2019. Using advanced technology, the lander safely touched down and will gather materials for three days, supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite.
This mission could provide new insights into planetary formation and the Moon’s composition. Scientists hope to analyze the unique rocks from this unexplored area, which might answer key questions about the solar system.
The mission aims to collect 2kg of material and return it to Earth in pristine condition. China plans more lunar missions and aims to have an astronaut on the Moon by 2030, while NASA’s Artemis 3 mission targets 2026 for a lunar landing.
Credit: BBC.
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