China successfully launched an uncrewed spacecraft, carrying the Chang’e-6 probe, on a nearly two-month mission to collect rocks and soil from the far side of the moon, Reuters reports.
The probe will take about four to five days to reach the moon’s orbit and aims to land in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, which perpetually faces away from Earth, in early June. It will spend two days collecting samples before returning to Earth, expected to land in Inner Mongolia. The samples collected from the far side of the moon could provide valuable insights into its geological history, with estimates suggesting the basin is about 4 billion years old.
Chang’e-6 is also part of a broader effort to establish a permanent research station on the moon, known as the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), led by China and Russia. This project aims to pave the way for deep space exploration and potentially harness lunar resources in the future.
The launch was attended by scientists, diplomats, and space agency officials from several countries, although no US organizations participated due to US law restrictions.
