China’s lunar probe Chang’e-6 has successfully landed on the far side of the moon and collected samples, state media reported on Sunday.
The lander touched down in the vast South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the China National Space Administration.
According to the agency, this will be the first attempt to collect samples from a little-explored area of the moon’s surface.
Chang’e-6 is embarking on a technically complex 53-day mission, beginning with its launch on May 3.
The rover is expected to scoop up lunar soil and rocks and conduct other experiments.
The mission is expected to be completed within two days, according to Xinhua. The probe will use two collection methods: a drill to extract subsurface samples, and a robotic arm to grab specimens from the surface.
And they would have to attempt an unprecedented launch from the moon’s surface, which always faces away from Earth.
Scientists say the “dark side” of the moon – so called because it is not visible from Earth, not because it receives any sunlight – is exciting to study because its craters are less covered by ancient lava flows than the near side.
Material recovered from the dark side may shed more light on how the moon formed.
China’s plans for its “space dream” are moving forward at a rapid pace under President Xi Jinping.
China has poured huge resources into its space program over the past decade and has undertaken a series of ambitious efforts to close the gap with traditional space powers the United States and Russia.
China has achieved some notable achievements, including the construction of a space station called “Tiangong.”
Beijing has landed robotic probes on Mars and the Moon, and China is only the third country to independently send humans into orbit.
But Washington warns that China’s space program is being used to hide military objectives and attempts to establish space superiority.
China aims to send a manned probe to the moon by 2030 and also has plans to build a base on the moon.
The US also plans to send astronauts back to the Moon by 2026 on the Artemis 3 mission.
