On June 25, China made history by becoming the first country to bring soil and rock samples from the mysterious dark side of the Moon back to Earth through the Chang’e 6 automated mission. The lunar sample capsule landed in China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region at 1:07 p.m. on that day. The Chang’e 6 spacecraft consisted of four modules: the lunar lander, sample transport compartment, orbiter, and orbital launch vehicle. It launched on May 3, reached lunar orbit 5 days later, and landed inside the Apollo crater on the dark side of the Moon on June 1.
The lander collected about 2 kg of lunar samples using shovels and drills, which were then transferred to the orbital launch vehicle on June 3. The orbiting spacecraft carrying the sample capsule returned to Earth on June 21, before successfully landing on June 25. This achievement is significant as it marks the first time samples have been collected from the dark side of the Moon, a region that is much more difficult to explore due to the lack of visibility. China’s previous mission, Chang’e 5 in 2020, also returned samples from the Moon but from the bright side.
The new samples brought back by Chang’e 6 could provide valuable insights into the early history of the solar system. Scientists are particularly interested in studying the South Pole Aitken depression and the formation of the SPA crater, which could shed light on the origin of life on Earth. The success of this mission has paved the way for future exploration of the dark side of the Moon, with China planning to launch Chang’e 7 and 8 in the coming years. Chang’e 8 will focus on testing the technology needed to establish a lunar base near the south pole in the 2030s.