BEIJING: A module of a Chinese lunar probe took off from the far side of the Moon on Tuesday carrying samples to be taken back to Earth, as reported by state media.
The achievement is the latest leap for Beijing’s decades-old space program, which aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030.
The ascender module of the Chang’e-6 probe “lifted off from the lunar surface,” according to the state news agency, citing the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The CNSA described the event as “an unprecedented feat in human lunar exploration history.” The mission successfully endured high temperatures on the far side of the Moon, and after lift-off, the module “entered a preset orbit around the Moon.”
The Chang’e-6 module landed on Sunday in the Moon’s vast South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system, according to the CNSA. The probe’s complex 53-day mission commenced on May 3. The Chang’e-6 features two methods of sample collection: a drill for material beneath the surface and a robotic arm for specimens above the surface.
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After successfully gathering its samples, “a Chinese national flag carried by the lander was unfurled for the first time on the far side of the moon,” as reported by the state news agency. Scientists believe that the Moon’s far side, which is not visible from Earth, holds significant research potential because its craters are less covered by ancient lava flows compared to the near side. The material collected from this region may provide better insights into the Moon’s formation.
Under President Xi Jinping, China’s “space dream” has accelerated, with substantial investments in the space program over the past decade, aiming to close the gap with the United States and Russia. China’s notable achievements include building a space station called Tiangong, landing robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon, and becoming the third country to independently put humans in orbit. However, Washington has cautioned that China’s space program might be used to mask military objectives and efforts to establish dominance in space.
China aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and also plans to build a base on the lunar surface. Similarly, the United States plans to return astronauts to the Moon by 2026 with its Artemis 3 mission. —AFP/APP
