China’s Chang’e 6 mission has reached a significant milestone with the successful return of its return capsule to Earth. The capsule, which made a fiery descent through the atmosphere on June 25, landed in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, marking the end of a 53-day mission. This mission has achieved a historic feat by delivering the first-ever samples from the lunar far side. The capsule was swiftly transported to Beijing early on June 26, where it was received by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), the organization responsible for designing the mission spacecraft. A ceremony was held at CAST, where researchers carefully opened the return capsule and examined its crucial technical indicators, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV. A sample container, holding a potential 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of lunar material, was then carefully secured for the next phase of its journey. These valuable samples will be transferred to specially designed facilities for meticulous storage, in-depth analysis, and distribution for research purposes. Similar to the samples collected from the moon’s near side by the Chang’e 5 mission in 2020, the materials will undergo thorough sorting before being made available for research applications by scientists and institutions across China. In a significant development, the materials are likely to be made available for research applications by international groups and researchers after a period of two years. Notably, NASA-funded researchers received special clearance late last year to apply for access to these precious lunar samples. This development highlights the global collaboration and scientific interest in lunar exploration and the valuable insights that these samples can provide.
China’s Chang’e 6 Mission Delivers First-Ever Lunar Far Side Samples
