China unveils Chang’e 6 return capsule with samples from the far side of the moon

The return capsule of China’s Chang’e 6 mission has successfully landed in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia after a fiery plunge through the atmosphere on June 25. This marked the end of the 53-day-long mission, which brought back the first-ever lunar far side samples to Earth. The capsule was then airlifted to Beijing and transferred to the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), where researchers opened it and examined key technical indicators.

During a ceremony held at CAST, a sample container holding up to 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of material from the moon was secured for further processing. The samples will be transferred to specialized facilities for storage, analysis, and distribution for research purposes. Just like the lunar samples collected by Chang’e 5 in 2020, these materials will be made available for research to scientists and institutions in China, with the possibility of applications from international researchers after two years.

NASA-funded researchers were granted special clearance last year to apply for access to lunar samples. This latest achievement in China’s space exploration efforts marks an important milestone in the study of the moon’s far side.

This article was originally posted on Space.com where you can get the latest discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.