China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe returned to Earth on Tuesday, bringing back the first samples ever collected from the Moon’s far side.
The robotic lander landed in Inner Mongolia after a 53-day mission to a crater near the Moon’s south pole. It collected soil and rock samples using a drill and robotic arm.
Retrieving samples from the Moon’s far side is challenging due to its difficult terrain and distance from Earth. Scientists hope the samples can provide insights into the Moon’s formation and composition.
China hopes findings from Chang’e-6 can help test theories about how the Moon originated from a collision between the early Earth and another object. Samples could reveal if the Moon’s interior is similar to Earth’s.
The samples will aid understanding of geological differences between the near and far sides of the Moon. China aims to advance its space exploration capabilities and hopes to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.
The successful mission is a sign of China’s growing ambitions in space and its rivalry with other nations like the US in lunar exploration and resource utilization.
Source: BBC
