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China’s Chang’e 6 lunar probe has officially returned the first samples collected from the far side of the Moon to scientists on Earth, a major achievement that highlights China’s rapidly advancing space ambitions.
The probe touched down in Inner Mongolia on Tuesday and delivered an incredibly rare package containing 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rocks.
The mission launched in early May and landed about a month later. In just 48 hours, the probe used a drill to scoop up some samples before being launched back into space to begin the weeks-long return journey.
There was also time to drop several scientific payloads on lunar service, including equipment to immediately detect the presence of negative ions.
China first landed 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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The far side of the Moon, which permanently faces away from Earth, remains much less explored than its much better understood near side. The difficult terrain, which includes high craters and massive boulders, makes it an extremely difficult place to explore.
Scientists hope that future explorers will discover usable resources there, including ice that could be used as a source of water, oxygen and hydrogen.
“It’s incredibly exciting that this landing has been successful,” said Catherine Haymans, Astronomer Royal of Scotland. BBC. “The geological activity of the moon is very different on the near and far sides, and why we see those differences has been a big mystery.”
Researchers are now ready to closely examine the more than 4-pound sample to uncover 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 earth sciences at Brown University. CNN. “International scientists are very excited about this mission.”
Additional information about the mission: Chinese lander equipment detects negative ions on the far side of the moon
