China’s Chang’e 5 probe has successfully landed on the far side of the moon, marking a significant milestone in its lunar exploration program. The mission aims to collect soil and rock samples that could shed light on the differences between the lesser-known far side and the more familiar near side of the moon. The lander touched down in the vast South Pole-Aitken Basin, a region that has never been explored before.
China has launched its Chang’e 6 mission to the moon’s far side, aiming to retrieve lunar samples and return them to Earth. The mission consists of a lunar orbiter, lander, ascender, and Earth-reentry module and will collect 4.4 pounds of lunar material. Chang’e 6 is part of China’s ambitious lunar program, which includes plans to build a crewed outpost near the moon’s south pole by 2030.
