In a stellar feat of space exploration, China’s Chang’e-6 mission has made history by returning the first-ever lunar sample from the far side of the moon to Earth. This groundbreaking mission landed on the moon’s elusive far side earlier this month, collected a sample, and successfully delivered it back to Earth on Tuesday, June 25.
The return capsule made a dramatic touchdown in the Siziwang Banner area of northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at precisely 2:07 p.m. Beijing Time. The capsule first pierced the atmosphere about half an hour earlier, hurtling at nearly 7 miles per second. In a nifty maneuver, it briefly skipped back out of the atmosphere to decelerate before re-entering and deploying parachutes to gently guide its descent.
The capsule will now be whisked away to a specialized facility for processing and detailed analysis.
“Upon receiving the lunar samples at our laboratory, our first task will be to unseal the container, extract the samples, and meticulously separate those collected from the lunar surface from those drilled below,” explained Wang Qiong, deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission. “Some samples will be stored permanently, while others will be kept at a backup location in case of disasters. The remaining samples will be distributed to scientists in China and abroad according to our lunar sample management regulations.”
This mission marks the first time a sample has been retrieved from the moon’s far side, the mysterious region that perpetually faces away from Earth. Often inaccurately dubbed the “dark side” of the moon, this area poses significant communication challenges, making exploration particularly difficult.
Because of these challenges, scientists know less about the geology of the far side compared to the near side. The far side is believed to have fewer lava flows, which could provide valuable insights into the moon’s history and evolution.
In addition to collecting this unique sample, the Chang’e-6 mission also carried four international payloads from the European Space Agency (ESA), France, Italy, and Pakistan. The mission utilized the relay satellite Queqiao-2, which will continue to orbit the moon, gathering scientific data with its suite of instruments, including an extreme ultraviolet camera, an array neutral atom imager, and an interferometry experiment.
With this mission, China has not only expanded our understanding of the moon but also showcased its growing prowess in space exploration. The moon’s far side is no longer an enigma; it’s now a treasure trove of scientific potential.
