China Launches Historic Mission to Retrieve Moon Rocks from Far Side

In a significant milestone for China's space exploration ambitions, the Chang'e-6 spacecraft successfully launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province on Friday. The unmanned spacecraft embarked on a nearly two-month mission to retrieve rocks and soil from the far side of the moon, a feat never attempted before by any country.

Why this matters: This mission marks a major step forward for China's space program, demonstrating its capabilities and ambitions in space exploration. The success of this mission could pave the way for further lunar exploration and potential resource utilization, with implications for the global space industry and international cooperation.

The Long March-5 rocket, carrying the over eight-tonneprobe, lifted off at 5:27 pm local time (09:27 GMT). The Chang'e-6 spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander, an ascender, and a mechanism that allows it to return to Earth. It is set to land in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon, a region that remains mysterious due to its perpetual facing away from Earth.

Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, emphasized the significance of the mission, stating,"Collecting and returning samples from the far side of the moon is an unprecedented feat. "He added,"If the Chang'e-6 mission can achieve its goal, it will provide scientists with the first direct evidence to understand the environment and material composition of the far side of the moon, which is of great significance."

After separating from the rocket, the probe will take four to five days to reach the moon's orbit and is expected to land on the moon in early June. Once it lands, the probe will spend two days digging up 2kg (4.4lb) of samples, which will then be sealed in a container and returned to Earth. The spacecraft is expected to land in north China's Inner Mongolia in about 53 days.

The launch was attended by scientists, diplomats, and space agency officials from France, Italy, Pakistan, and the European Space Agency (ESA), all of which have moon-studyingpayloadson board Chang'e-6. However, no organizations from the United States applied to get a payload spot due to US law barring collaboration with NASA without congressional approval.

The Chang'e-6 mission is part of a long-term project to build a permanent research station on the moon, the China and Russia-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). China's space program aims to put astronauts on the moon by 2030, bring back samples from Mars, and launch three lunar probe missions over the next four years, with the next mission scheduled for 2027.

China has made significant strides in its lunar exploration program in recent years. In 2020, theChang'e-5 missionsuccessfully returned samples from the moon's near side, making China the third country to achieve this feat after the United States and the former Soviet Union. Analysis of those samples found they contained water in tiny beads embedded in lunar dirt.

The successfullaunchof Chang'e-6 marks another major step forward for China's ambitious space program. As the spacecraft makes its journey to the far side of the moon, the world eagerly awaits the groundbreaking discoveries it may uncover about this largely unexplored region. The mission's findings could provide new insights into the moon's geological history and composition, furthering our understanding of Earth's celestial neighbor.

Key Takeaways

• China's Chang'e-6 spacecraft launched from Wenchang Space Launch Center to retrieve rocks and soil from the far side of the moon.
• The mission marks a major step forward for China's space program, demonstrating its capabilities and ambitions.
• The spacecraft will land in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, a region that remains mysterious due to its perpetual facing away from Earth.
• The probe will collect 2kg of samples, which will be sealed and returned to Earth in about 53 days.
• The mission is part of China's long-term project to build a permanent research station on the moon by 2030.