China’s Chang’e 6 lunar probe, sent to the dark side of the Moon, has successfully collected rock and soil samples.
According to the China National Space Administration, after landing on the Moon’s surface on June 2nd, the probe excavated the surface with its drill and sealed the collected samples in a container, which was then transferred to the ascender spacecraft.
In the morning hours, the ascender spacecraft lifted the container from the surface to orbit, marking the completion of the sampling phase of the mission.
Chang’e 6 is the first mission to collect rock and soil samples from the dark side of the Moon, making China the first country to do so. The mission consists of a satellite, a lander, a rover, and a return module, and was launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on Hainan Island, China, on May 3rd.
The lander made a soft landing in a crater called the Apollo Basin within the South Pole-Aitken Basin of the Moon on June 2nd.
The term “dark side” refers to the side of the Moon that is not visible from Earth, not the absence of light. It is less explored compared to the near side of the Moon.
The Chang’e missions, named after the Chinese moon goddess, began with Chang’e 1 and Chang’e 2 satellites sent to lunar orbit in 2007 and 2010, respectively. These missions aimed to map the Moon’s surface in preparation for soft landings.
Chang’e 3, which deployed the Yutu (Jade Rabbit) rover, landed on the lunar surface in December 2013.
Chang’e 4 made history by landing the Yutu-2 rover on the far side of the Moon in January 2019.
Chang’e 5, launched in November 2020, was the first mission to collect lunar samples. The spacecraft returned to Earth with 1.73 kilograms of rock and soil samples in December 2020.
China plans to continue its lunar exploration with future missions. Chang’e 7, scheduled for 2026, will explore the lunar south pole, while Chang’e 8, planned for 2027, will conduct tests to verify the capacity and availability of natural resources and to prepare for the construction of a lunar research base. China aims to conduct crewed missions to the Moon starting in 2030 and establish an International Lunar Research Station to facilitate further exploration activities.