In a historic achievement, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) has confirmed the successful landing of a Chinese spacecraft on the moon's far side, following a month-long journey.
This marks the first time in history that rock and soil samples will be collected from this notoriously inaccessible region of the lunar surface, according to CNSA officials.
Professor John Pernet-Fisher, a lunar geology specialist at the University of Manchester, expressed his excitement to the BBC, stating, "Everyone is very excited that we might get a look at these rocks no-one has ever seen before."
The momentous touchdown of the Chang'e 6 landing craft on the lunar surface early Sunday morning was met with applause at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, as reported by the Chinese state broadcaster. The spacecraft landed in a crater known as the Apollo Basin, a location chosen for its potential scientific exploration value and favorable landing conditions, including communication and telemetry conditions and terrain flatness.
Huang Hao, a space expert from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, explained the challenges of landing on the moon's far side. He stated, "The choice was made for the Apollo Basin's potential value of scientific exploration, as well as the conditions of the landing area, including communication and telemetry conditions and the flatness of the terrain." The rugged terrain, fewer flat surfaces, and limited communication windows make this side of the moon more difficult to navigate.
Before landing, the craft hovered approximately 300 feet above the lunar surface, scanning it with 3D technology. The successful touchdown was hailed as an "historic moment" by Chinese space officials.
The Chang'e 6 will now embark on a three-day exploration of the lunar surface, gathering material for a mission that the CNSA described as involving "many engineering innovations, high risks and great difficulty." The mission's primary objective is to extract some of the oldest known rocks from the lunar south pole.
Pernet-Fisher highlighted the potential of this mission to answer fundamental questions about planetary formation. He explained that most of the rocks collected so far are volcanic, similar to those found in Iceland or Hawaii, but the material on the far side would have a different chemistry. "It would help us answer those really big questions, like how are planets formed, why do crusts form, what is the origin of water in the solar system?" Pernet-Fisher said.
China remains the only country to have successfully landed a module on the moon's far side, having first achieved this feat with its Chang'e 4 spacecraft in 2019.
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