China space probe returns to Earth with rare rocks from far side of the Moon
A Chinese lunar probe has returned to Earth with soil and rock samples from the little-explored far side of the Moon.
The Chang’e-6 probe has landed in Mongolia with a 2.5-million year old volcanic rock and other material.
This material will help scientists discover the geographical differences between the two sides of the Moon.
It is also hoped that these materials will reveal more details about the formation of Earth, the Moon, and the solar system.
But the two-month expedition was fraught with risks because it is rare for a lunar probe to travel to this part of the Moon.
This side of the Moon can prove challenging because it is covered in difficult terrain like uneven surfaces and craters.
The probe was launched in early May of this year from the Chinese island of Hainan and managed to land on a crater on the south pole of the Moon two weeks later.
China is also the first country ever in the world to do this, having previously sent one in 2019.
A Chinese flag was planted on the surface after the probe used a robotic arm to collect the soil and rocks.
The country is vying to compete with the likes of both the US and Russia in the space race – having invested huge sums of money in its Space programme.
This has led Neil Melville-Kenney, a technical officer at the European Space Agency (ESA), to express concern about this space race.
He said: ‘I’m glad there has been a resurgence in this (space) race, but of course I would like to see us racing alongside each other and together.
‘We know that (the far side of the moon) is literally a different place, it is made of different materials than the near side of the moon, it has a different history… it’s really of fundamental scientific importance to get these samples back.’
He said the ESA will meet with the China National Space Administration in October to discuss further collaboration.
‘This collaboration that we have at the moment (with China) is a small step, this was started quite a while ago, perhaps the situations were a little bit different then. Going forward I hope there will be more collaboration,’ he added.
The news was welcomed by China’s President Xi Jinping who said the landing is a ‘landmark achievement’ for the country.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the samples taken from the Moon will now be sent to Beijing for analysis.
The probe is named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e like its predecessors in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Programme.
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