June 25th, 2024

China returns sample from moon' far side

China achieved a historic milestone by returning samples from the moon's far side with the Chang'e 6 mission. The mission collected lunar material from the South Pole-Aitken basin, providing valuable insights for scientific exploration and future lunar missions.

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China returns sample from moon' far side

China made history by successfully returning samples from the moon's far side through its Chang'e 6 mission. The mission's return capsule landed in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, marking the first time material from the moon's mysterious far side has been brought back to Earth. Chang'e 6, consisting of a lunar lander, return capsule, orbiter, and ascender, collected about 4.4 pounds of lunar material from the South Pole-Aitken basin. This achievement follows China's previous success with the Chang'e 5 mission in 2020, which collected samples from the moon's near side. The far side of the moon presents unique challenges due to communication limitations, making this mission significant for scientific exploration. The collected material could provide insights into the moon's history, including the formation of the SPA basin and its implications for understanding Earth's origins. China's future plans include launching Chang'e 7 and Chang'e 8 in 2026 and 2028, respectively, to further lunar exploration and test technologies for establishing a moon base near the south pole in the 2030s.

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