China’s Chang’e-6 lunar mission has successfully completed over 70 percent of its 380,000-kilometer journey back to Earth, as announced by the mission’s official media channel on June 21. The probe is carrying the first-ever batch of lunar samples collected from the moon’s mysterious far side, marking a significant milestone in lunar exploration.
The Chang’e-6 mission, named after the Chinese moon goddess, represents China’s continuous efforts to explore the moon’s uncharted territories. The spacecraft embarked on its journey to the lunar far side—a region never before sampled—aiming to enhance scientific understanding of the moon’s composition and history.
The returner module is expected to land at Siziwang Banner in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as planned. This remote area has been designated as the landing site for its favorable geographic conditions and has previously facilitated successful recoveries of China’s space missions.
The collected samples from the moon’s far side are anticipated to provide unprecedented insights into lunar geology. Scientists hope that the analysis of these samples will shed light on the moon’s formation, volcanic activity, and the space environment beyond the moon’s near side, which faces Earth.
The mission’s progress signifies a remarkable achievement for China’s space exploration endeavors. It follows the successful Chang’e-5 mission, which returned samples from the lunar near side in 2020. By bringing back samples from the far side, Chang’e-6 is set to contribute invaluable data to the global scientific community.
Global readers, academics, and space enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the probe’s return, which promises to open new chapters in understanding Earth’s closest celestial neighbor. The success of Chang’e-6 not only highlights China’s growing capabilities in space exploration but also fosters international interest in collaborative efforts to explore outer space.
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Chang'e-6 completes over 70% of return trip to Earth with moon samples
cgtn.com
