China Successfully Takes Samples From The Dark Side Of The Moon With Chang'e-6
JAKARTA - China is again making history on spaceflight after lunar rover Chang'e-6 returned to Earth with rock samples from the far side of the Moon. The rover landed in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 6:07 GMT (14:07 Beijing time) June 25.
Chang'e-6 took home about 2 kilograms of lunar regolith collected from the South Pole-Aitken basin, an area that has not been explored much. These samples are highly anticipated by scientists to study the early history of the solar system.
Chang'e-6's landing via a direct parachute was responded to by a team of scientists who reached the module just minutes after landing. Zhang Kejian, Director of China's National Space Administration, announced the success of this mission in a televised press conference. Chinese President Xi Jinping also sent congratulations, calling it a "historic achievement in our country's efforts to become a power of technology and outer space."
Chang'e-6 collected samples from the South Pole-Aitken basin, a crater believed to have formed more than 4 billion years ago. The crater provides a unique opportunity to study the Moon's early formation and reveal whether there is enough water at the Moon's south pole to support human colonies.
After landing on the lunar surface, Chang'e-6 climber module glides back into lunar orbit, meets the orbiter module on June 6, and begins its return journey to Earth on June 21.
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This mission is technically challenging because there is no radio signal from Earth that can directly reach the far side of the Moon. Signal control is carried out via the Queqiao-2 relay satellite stationed in lunar orbit in March to reflect the signal back to Earth.
Chang'e-6 is the sixth of eight missions in China's lunar exploration ambitious program. China plans to launch Chang'e-7 in 2026 and Chang'e-8 in 2028, which will test the technology to build a human base at the Moon's south pole in the 2030s.
These samples will be analyzed by Chinese scientists before the data is shared with international researchers, paving the way for broader global scientific collaborations.