Chinese probe returns to Earth with first samples from far side of the moon
- China’s Chang’e 6 probe returned to earth with rock and soil samples from the little-explored far side of the moon in a global first.
Highlights:
- Chinese scientists anticipate the returned samples will include 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock and other material
- that scientists hope will answer questions about geographic differences on the moon’s two sides.
- The near side is what is seen from Earth, and the far side faces outer space. The far side is also known to have mountains and impact craters, contrasting with the relatively flat expanses visible on the near side of the moon.
High hopes
- The probe had landed in the moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin,
- an impact crater created more than 4 billion years ago.
- The samples scientists are expecting will likely come from different layers of the basin, which will bear traces of the different geological events.
- While past U.S. and Soviet missions have collected samples from the moon’s near side, the Chinese mission was the first that has collected samples from the far side.
Prelims Takeaway:
- Artemis Accords
- Moon Missions