China’s Chang’e-6 probe returns from the far side of the Moon with a soil sample

Samples from the far side of the moon are returning to Earth. China’s «Chang’e-6» mission landed on the moon over the weekend and has since collected a sample of lunar regolith. That material began its journey back to Earth late last night after the successful descent of the «Chang’e-6» vehicle. It will be the first time samples from this region of the moon have been returned to Earth.

Samples from this region of the moon have been returned to Earth.

Chang’e-6 left Earth on May 3, departing from China’s Wenchang Cosmodrome. Just a few days later, it reached lunar orbit. The Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) had been conducting orbital scientific research and preparing for the historic landing for weeks. The 3.2-ton vehicle reached the moon on June 1 and descended in Apollo Crater, which is part of the South Pole — Aitken Basin, where other vehicles are expected to land in the coming years.

An Apollo crater, which is part of the South Pole — Aitken Basin, where other vehicles are expected to land in the coming years.

The lander was equipped with a drill and scoop designed to load two kilograms of lunar material into a sample container. That container is in the lander, which you can see in the photo above. On the evening of June 3, CNSA confirmed that its lander had left the surface with the valuable payload secured.

Lander’s landing vehicle has left the surface with the valuable payload secured.

The lander is currently climbing in orbit around the moon to rendezvous with the mission’s service module. Once captured by the service module, the robotic system will remove the sample container from the descent vehicle. The descent vehicle will then be released and drift away into the void. The service module will remain in orbit for several more weeks before its scheduled departure on June 20-21. On June 25, the spacecraft will release the descent module, which will carry the sample container to Inner Mongolia, where it will be picked up by CNSA.

The spacecraft will then release the descent module, which will carry the sample container to Inner Mongolia, where it will be picked up by CNSA.

Scientists can’t wait to study materials from the South Pole basin — Aitken. This massive crater is the oldest and deepest basin on the moon’s surface. Samples may contain material from deep within the lunar crust. Further study of the South Pole basin — Aitken may help scientists determine why the near and far sides of the moon have such different properties and how planets and moons formed in the early solar system.

Scientists may be able to determine why the near and far sides of the moon have such different properties and how planets and moons formed in the early solar system.

This mission will go down in history as China’s second lunar sample return and first sample return from the far side of the moon, but it also plays into the future of China’s space program. China is working toward its goal —to land humans on the moon by 2030, and the technology used for «Chang’e-6» will help design a crewed landing. China also hopes to launch the «Tianwen-3» Martian lander around 2030, and the results of «Chang’e-6» will undoubtedly have an impact on the Martian mission.

And the results of «Chang’e-6» will undoubtedly have an impact on the Martian mission.