The spacecraft "Chang'e-6" successfully landed in Inner Mongolia, delivering to Earth the first samples of soil and rocks from the far side of the Moon in history.
Xi Jinping congratulated China's National Space Administration, calling the event "a remarkable achievement in the country's efforts to become a space and technological power," reports Associated Press.
"Chang'e-6" landed on the Moon on June 2, but not without problems. Because it is the far side, the Moon itself blocks radio signals, so the mission had to rely on previously launched Chinese lunar satellites, which somewhat facilitated the communication process.
After the "landing" in the impact crater basin Aitken, the probe used drilling tools and a robotic arm to "capture" soil and rock samples. It also delivered payloads from the European Space Agency, France, and Italy, intended for "scientific research."
The Aitken crater itself likely formed about 4.26 billion years ago - one of a series of impact craters formed as a result of ancient collisions. It is expected that the samples obtained from them will help scientists better understand the topography of the still unfamiliar far side of the Moon and possibly shed light on the early history of the satellite and Earth.
"This is important for understanding the origin of life on Earth," wrote the non-profit organization The Planetary Society in a message about "Chang'e-6" earlier this year, referring to the theory that asteroids could have carried water and organic materials to Earth during a "heavy bombardment."
The "Chang'e-6" mission is also an important stage for China in the race to establish global human presence on the Moon.
The next spacecraft, "Chang'e-7," is planned to be sent to the moon in 2026 - to search for water and other resources that could potentially support long-term missions. NASA also wants to send the first humans to the Moon's south pole in 2026 as part of its Artemis III mission.
Comments (0)
There are no comments for now