On Tuesday, a module of a Chinese lunar probe successfully launched from the far side of the Moon carrying samples to be returned to Earth.
The achievement is a world first, and the latest milestone in Beijing’s decades-long space programme, which wants to send a crewed trip to the Moon by 2030.
China National Space Administration (CNSA) reported, “The ascender module of the Chang’e-6 probe “lifted off from the lunar surface”.
It was regarded as an unprecedented feat in human lunar exploration history.
“The mission has withstood the test of high temperature on the far side of the moon”, the CNSA continued.
China National Space Administration went on to say, “After lift-off, the module entered a preset orbit around the moon”.
According to the China National Space Administration, the Chang’e-6 module landed on Sunday in the Moon’s immense South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the solar system’s largest known impact craters.
The probe’s technically challenging 53-day mission began on May 3rd.
The Chang’e-6 has two ways of sample collection: a drill to collect material under the surface and a robotic arm to grab specimens above the surface.
A Chinese national flag carried by the lander was unfurled for the first time on the far side of the moon after successfully gathering samples.
Scientists believe the Moon’s dark side, so-called because it is invisible from Earth, not because it never receives sunlight has enormous promise for research since its craters are less buried with ancient lava flows than the near side.
Material gathered from the far side may provide more insight into how the Moon evolved in the first place.
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