China’s Chang’e-6 mission has achieved a historic milestone by collecting and returning samples from the far side of the moon, making China the first country to accomplish this. The re-entry capsule, containing the valuable lunar material, landed in the Siziwang Banner region of Inner Mongolia on Tuesday. This mission marks a significant success for the China National Space Administration (CNSA) amid increasing global interest in lunar exploration and resource utilization.
The Chang’e-6 probe, named after the Chinese moon goddess, was launched from Hainan province on May 3, 2023, and touched down on the far side of the moon on June 2. This side of the moon, which never faces Earth due to tidal locking, presents unique challenges for communication and navigation. The mission’s lander spent two days collecting rock and soil samples from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, a massive and ancient crater. Using a robotic arm and drill, the lander gathered up to 2 kilograms of lunar material, which was then transported back to Earth by an ascent module.
Martin Barstow, a professor of astrophysics and space science at the University of Leicester, praised the mission as a remarkable technological feat, noting the difficulty of sample recovery from the far side of the moon. The United States, China, and the former Soviet Union have previously collected samples from the near side of the moon, but this mission is the first to bring back material from the far side.
The new samples are expected to provide insights into the early history of the moon and Earth. Ian Crawford, a professor of planetary science at Birkbeck, University of London, highlighted the importance of dating the SPA basin to understand the lunar cratering timeline. This data could reveal the impact history of Earth, shedding light on the conditions under which life first appeared. The SPA basin may have exposed the lunar mantle, offering clues about the moon’s history and origins.
The far side of the moon has a thicker crust and more impact craters than the near side, which has been resurfaced by volcanic activity. The unique geological characteristics of the far side make the new samples particularly valuable for scientific research. Dr. Simeon Barber, a senior research fellow at the Open University, emphasized that analyzing these samples will help understand why the far side differs so much from the near side.
China’s lunar exploration plans include more missions this decade, aiming to establish an International Lunar Research base with Russia’s Roscosmos and eventually land a Chinese astronaut on the moon. The success of the Chang’e-6 mission represents a major step toward these goals.
Chinese scientists will initially analyze the samples, with plans to eventually share data and collaborate with international researchers. Previous samples from the near side were made available to international scientists after three years, and similar access is expected for the new samples.
This mission is a critical component of China’s broader space ambitions, as articulated by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, to establish the country as a dominant space power. The successful completion of the Chang’e-6 mission was celebrated in China, with plans to leverage the new samples for future lunar exploration and resource utilization.
NASA and other countries are also ramping up their lunar exploration efforts. The U.S. aims to send astronauts to the moon by 2026 as part of the Artemis program. NASA chief Bill Nelson has noted the competitive aspect of lunar exploration, particularly concerning potential resources at the moon’s south pole, such as water ice, which could be used for rocket fuel.
China’s Chang’e series continues with plans for the Chang’e-7 mission to the lunar south pole in 2026 and the Chang’e-8 mission in 2028 to test lunar resource utilization. These missions are part of China’s strategy to advance its space capabilities and contribute to the global understanding of the moon and its resources.
