The Chinese Mission Chang’e-6 concluded with remarkable success as the capsule containing samples of lunar soil safely landed in Inner Mongolia after a 53-day journey. This historic event marked the first-ever return of samples from the far side of the moon, as reported by The Register.
In early June, the Chang’e-6 spacecraft made its initial landing in this unexplored region and spent two Earth days collecting samples of lunar regolith before beginning its journey back to Earth.
Upon landing with a parachute in Inner Mongolia, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed that the return capsule functioned properly, signifying the complete success of the Chang’e-6 mission to study the moon and the world’s first retrieval of samples from the far side of the moon.
Following ground processing, the landing module will be transported to Beijing, where a container holding up to 2 kg of lunar dust and rocks will be extracted from it. China has announced its intent to collaborate with the international community by sharing scientific data and providing access to the samples. The samples were gathered from the largest impact crater on the far side of the moon, the South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA Basin). The geological history of the far side is believed to differ significantly from the near side, leading to variations in material composition.
The region where the samples were collected is known to be abundant in helium-3 and harbors substantial deposits of water ice within perpetually shadowed craters. Additionally, valuable elements and minerals with potential applications in future lunar base construction were discovered in the area.
Exploring the far side of the moon presents several challenges, including the continuous invisibility of this region from Earth, necessitating the use of relay satellites for communication. The Chinese space program has partially addressed this issue through automated systems. The rugged terrain, which complicates landing, makes the far side of the moon an ideal location for hosting radio telescopes that can observe the universe without interference from Earth-based radio signals.
Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated the mission participants, hailing this achievement as “another milestone in China’s journey towards becoming a spacefaring and scientific technological powerhouse.”