China’s far-side Moon mission begins journey back

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: Space sector

Context:

China says its lunar probe has successfully taken off from the far side of the Moon to begin its journey back to Earth carrying the first samples ever collected from the region.

Key Highlights:

State media says the collecting module of the Chang’e-6 craft lifted off on Tuesday to begin the journey back.
The robot landed in a giant crater close to the Moon’s south pole in a world-first feat celebrated by the international science community.
China became the first country to reach the far side of the Moon with the landing of its Chang’e-4.
China is the only country to have landed on the far side of the moon, having also done so before in 2019.
The Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) described the mission’s landing and lift-off as an ”unprecedented feat in human lunar exploration”.
China aims to be the first country to bring back rock and soil samples from the far side of the Moon, which scientists say could be very different from rock formations on the near side.

About Change mission:

Chang’e 6 is a robotic lunar exploration mission by the China National Space Administration.
Like its predecessors in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, the spacecraft is named after the Chinese Moon goddess Chang’e.
The mission began on 3 May 2024 when the probe was launched from China’s Hainan Island.
The mission’s lander landed on the far side of the Moon on 1 June 2024.
Chang’e-6 had spent two days gathering rocks and soil – using a mechanical arm and drill to collect about 2kg (4.4lb) of material.
It has been based in the South Pole-Aitken basin – a gigantic crater on the Moon’s far side which is one of the largest known in the Solar System.
In 2020, its Chang’e-5 craft brought back 1.7kg of material from an area called Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon’s near side.