China’s Chang’e 6 probe successfully returned to Earth with rock and soil samples from the less explored far side of the moon, marking a global first.
The probe touched down in the Inner Mongolian region in northern China on Tuesday afternoon.
“The Chang’e 6 Lunar Exploration Mission has achieved complete success,” stated Zhang Kejian, the director of the China National Space Administration, during a televised news conference after the landing.
Scientists in China are eager to analyze the returned samples, which are expected to include volcanic rock dating back 2.5 million years, providing insights into geographical differences between the moon’s two hemispheres.
The near side of the moon faces Earth, while the far side looks out into space with its mountains and impact craters, in contrast to the flat terrain visible on the near side.
The probe landed in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the moon, an impact crater formed over 4 billion years ago. The samples retrieved may reveal evidence of various geological events over time.
Unlike previous missions by the U.S. and the Soviet Union, this Chinese mission is the first to collect samples from the far side of the moon.
“This global first signifies the ability to return samples from the far side of the moon,” remarked Richard de Grijs, an astrophysics professor at Macquarie University in Australia.
China’s space program is escalating the competition with the U.S. and other countries like Japan and India, with China already having its own space station in orbit.
Chinese President Xi Jinping commended the Chang’e team for the milestone accomplishment in space exploration.
After leaving Earth on May 3, the Chang’e 6 probe completed a 53-day journey, drilling into the moon’s core and collecting surface rocks.
The samples are anticipated to provide valuable insights into the geological activities that have shaped the moon’s unique surface features.
China has conducted multiple successful moon missions in recent years, including collecting samples from the moon’s near side with the Chang’e 5 probe.
The hope is that the retrieved samples may contain evidence of past meteorite impacts, shedding light on the early days of the solar system.
China has expressed intentions to collaborate with international scientists in studying the moon samples, although specific partnerships have not been disclosed.