The probe Chang’e-6with on board the first samples ever brought back from the far side of the Moon, returned to Earth on Tuesday, marking the “complete success” of the mission, according to the Chinese space agency.
Due to its technical complexity, particularly in terms of communications, this is one of the most ambitious missions ever carried out by China in space.
“At 2:07 p.m. (2:07 a.m. in Quebec), the return module Chang’e-6 landed” in a desert area in the Inner Mongolia region (northern China) “and everything is working normally,” the Chinese space agency CNSA said in a statement.
“This marks the complete success of the mission” and “the first return to Earth of samples from the far side of the Moon,” she said.
The capsule fell slowly from the sky thanks to a red and white parachute before touching down gently and a red and yellow Chinese flag was planted at its side, according to images broadcast by state television CCTV.
The far side of the Moon is a rarely explored region. It is so called because it is invisible from Earth. It is very promising for research because its rugged features are less smoothed by ancient lava flows than those on the nearest face.
The samples taken by Chang’e-6earth and rocks, could thus allow us to know more about the formation and history of the Earth’s natural satellite.
The probe was launched into space on May 3 from the Wenchang launch center, in the tropical island province of Hainan (south China).
“Unprecedented feat”
About a month later, it landed in the immense South Pole-Aitken basin, one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system, located on the far side of the Moon.
The probe used a drill and a robotic arm to collect the samples. She also took photos of the lunar surface and planted a red and yellow Chinese flag in the gray soil on the far side of the Moon.
On June 4, the probe carried out the first successful launch in history from the far side of the Moon, in order to place the samples collected in lunar orbit, where they had been since that date. The state-run Xinhua news agency described this success as “an unprecedented feat in the history of lunar exploration”.
The operation was indeed very technical and delicate. Because the mission required the use of a Chinese relay satellite so that communication signals could be transmitted from Earth to the far side, in both directions.
Sino-American rivalry
China has considerably developed its space programs over the past thirty years, injecting billions of euros into this sector in order to catch up with the American, Russian and European leaders.
The Asian country placed a device on the far side of the Moon in 2019, a world first. In 2020, it brought back samples from the visible side of the Moon and finalized Beidou, its satellite navigation system.
In 2021, China landed a small robot on Mars.
The Asian giant hopes to launch its first manned mission to the Moon by 2030. It also plans to build a lunar base.
The United States is engaged in a rivalry with China over the lunar program. Washington plans to send astronauts to the Moon again by 2026 with its Artemis 3 mission.