Space exploration - Chinese Spacecraft Safely Touchs Down on Moon's Remote Hemi Sphere
According to Chinese state media, China has achieved a historical milestone by successfully landing a probe on the moon's far side to collect rock samples. The China National Space Administration declared that a landing module from the lunar probe "Chang'e 6" successfully touched down on the surface. This event marks a significant accomplishment for China's space exploration program, being the first time ever that soil and rock samples from the moon's remote side have been brought to Earth.
This mission commenced in early May from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on the Chinese island of Hainan. After around forty-five days of flight time, "Chang'e 6" entered the moon's orbit and circumnavigated it to determine the optimal time and location for landing. Now, the probe's lander will employ a robotic arm to gather approximately two kilograms of rock and soil samples in the so-called South Pole-Aitken Basin of the moon. The "Chang'e 6" mission is anticipated to conclude with a return to Earth in late June. The lunar expedition is predicted to span 53 days.
Scientist Zeng Xingguo, a member of the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, remarked to the Xinhua news agency, "Unraveling the secrets of the moon's far side is indispensable for a better understanding of its features and the mysteries of our celestial body."
The landing site of "Chang'e 6" encompasses the largest and oldest impact crater on the moon, with a diameter of 2,500 kilometers and a depth of up to eight kilometers. The South Pole-Aitken Basin has long been desired for sampling, as it could potentially provide insights into the formation of the moon, Earth, and the solar system's early history.
The basin is thought to have been formed by a meteorite impact; however, there is some debate regarding the precise timing of the occurrence. Some scientists posit that the impact transpired 4.3 billion years ago, while others hypothesize it occurred later.
Just like previous missions, China has allotted room on "Chang'e 6" for equipment and devices from other countries. The probe carries instruments and gear from France, Italy, Sweden, and Pakistan.
This is the sixth lunar expedition by China since 2007. The most recent one, "Chang'e 5," delivered samples from the moon's near side to Earth in 2020. Apart from the US and the Soviet Union, only these two countries have accomplished this feat. Additionally, China deployed a rover on the far side of the moon in 2019, "Chang'e 4," to explore the terrain there.
Lunar landings are considered notoriously challenging. In recent times, several lunar probes from India, Israel, Japan, and Russia failed to arrive at their intended destinations. Consequently, "Chang'e 6" could potentially offer valuable knowledge for China's space program, leading to future endeavors such as obtaining soil samples from Mars.
China has devoted billions of dollars to its space program with intentions to match the achievements of the US in this domain. By 2030, China intends to send a crewed mission to the moon. Moreover, in the distant future, the People's Republic envisions constructing a research station near the moon's south pole, where valuable resources and even water are speculated to be present.
The Russian news agency Tass recently reported that the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, had affirmed an agreement with Beijing concerning cooperation for creating a permanent lunar research station.
Meanwhile, the US is also planning to return to the moon with astronauts half a century after their previous Apollo missions. The Artemis program's planned manned lunar landing by NASA, initially postponed, is now set to occur in autumn 2026. The next lunar landing is slated for 2028.
