Return address
China’s Chang’e 6 lunar probe officially returned the first samples collected from the far side of the Moon for scientists here on Earth, a major achievement that highlights the rapid advancement of the country’s space ambitions.
The probe touched down in Inner Mongolia on Tuesday, delivering the incredibly rare package, which is expected to include 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock.
The mission launched in early May and landed about a month later. In just over 48 hours, the probe collected some samples using a drill and launched back into space to embark on its weeks-long return journey.
He still had time to deliver several scientific payloads to lunar service, including an instrument that immediately detected the presence of negative ions.
China became the first to land on the far side of the Moon in April 2019 and remains the only country to do so – let alone twice.
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Crater face
The far side of the Moon, which faces permanently away from Earth, remains much less explored than its near side, which is much better understood. Its difficult terrain, which includes tall craters and huge boulders, makes it an extremely challenging place to explore.
Scientists hope to discover usable resources there, including ice water, which future explorers could use as a source of water, oxygen and hydrogen.
“It is incredibly exciting to see this successful landing,” said Scottish Astronomer Royal Catherine Heymans told the BBC. “The geological activity on the Moon is very different on the near side and the far side and it has been a big puzzle as to why we see these differences.”
Researchers are now ready to examine more than two kilograms of samples as they seek to unravel the mysteries surrounding the formation and evolution of the Moon.
And they can barely contain their excitement.
“It’s a gold mine… a treasure chest,” said James Head, a professor of planetary geosciences at Brown University. counted CNN. “International scientists are completely excited about the mission.”
More about the mission: Chinese Lander instrument detects negative ions on the far side of the Moon
