Interplanetary journeys - Chinese Spacecraft Succesfully Lands on the Lunar Surface
According to Chinese government-owned media, China has successfully landed a probe on the moon's far side for the first time to gather rock samples. State-controlled news agency Xinhua reported that the lunar probe module, named "Chang'e 6," touched down "successfully" on the surface.
This mission is a significant achievement for China's ambitious space program. It represents the first time in history that soil and rock samples from the moon's backside have been brought to Earth.
The site where "Chang'e 6" touched down is the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the biggest and oldest impact crater on the moon, with a diameter of 2,500 kilometers and depth of up to 8 kilometers. Scientists have always wished to collect rock samples from this area.
The "Chang'e 6" mission began on May 3 and will last for 53 days. The plan is for soil samples to reach Earth around June 25. This is the sixth lunar mission conducted by China since 2007. The most recent mission was "Chang'e 5," which took place in 2020 and brought samples from the front side of the moon for analysis. Another noteworthy mission was "Chang'e 4" in 2019, the first rover to land on the backside of the moon and explore the terrain.
Landing on the moon is a challenging endeavor. Many lunar missions from India, Israel, Japan, and Russia in recent history haven't made it to their intended destination.
