Landing in the Antarctic-Aikin Basin
Soil and Rock Samples Collected... Expected to Help Understand the Moon's Asymmetry
China's lunar probe Chang'e 6, launched with the goal of collecting samples from the far side of the Moon for the first time in human history, successfully landed on the Moon's far side on the 2nd, according to China's Xinhua News Agency.
According to the report, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced that Chang'e 6 landed on the "South Pole-Aitken Basin" on the far side of the Moon that morning. Chang'e 6 was launched on the 3rd of last month with the goal of being the world's first mission to collect soil and rock samples from the far side of the Moon.
Chang'e 6 is known to have chosen a landing site south of the Apollo crater within the Aitken Basin, and after starting initial system checks, it will begin sample collection. Composed of four main parts?the orbiter, lander, ascent vehicle, and re-entry module?Chang'e 6 will use a drill to collect a total of 2 kg of samples over the next 48 hours. If the schedule proceeds smoothly, it is expected to return to Earth on the 25th.
So far, lunar surface sample collection has been conducted a total of 10 times worldwide, but all were on the near side of the Moon. If Chang'e 6 succeeds in collecting samples, it will be the first exploration achievement of its kind in human history. The academic community expects Chang'e 6 to help reveal the reasons behind the Moon's asymmetry, as the near side and far side have completely different environments.
CNSA plans to carry out three additional unmanned missions within the next 10 years with the goals of discovering traces of water on the Moon and establishing a permanent base.
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