Source: China says its Chang’e-6 mission successfully lands on Moon’s far side
China says its uncrewed craft has successfully landed on the far side of the Moon – an unexplored place almost no-one tries to go.
The Chang’e 6 touched down in the South Pole-Aitken Basin at 06:23 Beijing time on Sunday morning (22:23 GMT Saturday), the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.
Launched on 3 May, the mission aims to collect precious rock and soil from this region for the first time in history.
The probe could extract some of the Moon’s oldest rocks from a huge crater on its South Pole.
Most of the rocks collected so far are volcanic, similar to what we might find in Iceland or Hawaii.
But the material on the far side would have a different chemistry .
“It would help us answer those really big questions, like how are planets formed, why do crusts form, what is the origin of water in the solar system?” the professor says.
The mission aims to collect about 2kg (4.4lb) of material using a drill and mechanical arm, according to the CNSA.
The South Pole–Aitken basin, an impact crater, is one of the largest known in the solar system.
From there, the probe could gather material that came from deep inside the lunar mantle – the inner core of the Moon – Prof Pernet-Fisher says.
The Moon’s South Pole is the next frontier in lunar missions – countries are keen to understand the region because there is a good chance it has ice.
Access to water would significantly boost the chances of successfully establishing a human base on the Moon for scientific research.
If the mission succeeds, the craft will return to Earth with the precious samples on board a special return capsule.
The material will be kept in special conditions to try to keep it as pristine as possible.
Scientists in China will be given the first chance to analyse the rocks, and later researchers around the world will be able to apply for the opportunity too.
This is the second time China has launched a mission to collect samples from the Moon.
In 2020 Chang’e 5 brought back 1.7kg of material from an area called Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon’s near side.
China is planning three more uncrewed missions this decade as it looks for water on the Moon and investigates setting up a permanent base there.
Beijing’s broader strategy aims to see a Chinese astronaut walk on the moon by around 2030.
The US also aims to put astronauts back on the moon, with Nasa aiming to launch its Artemis 3 mission in 2026.
中国表示，其无人驾驶飞船已成功降落在月球背面——这是一个几乎没有人尝试去探索的未开发之地。 中国国家航天局（CNSA）表示，嫦娥六号于北京时间周日早上6点23分（格林威治标准时间周六22点23分）在南极-艾特肯盆地着陆。 该任务于 5 月 3 日启动，旨在历史上首次从该地区收集珍贵的岩石和土壤。 该探测器可以从月球南极的一个巨大陨石坑中提取一些月球最古老的岩石。 迄今为止收集到的大部分岩石都是火山岩石，类似于我们在冰岛或夏威夷可能发现的岩石。 但远端的材料会有不同的化学成分。 教授说，“这将帮助我们回答那些真正的大问题，比如行星是如何形成的，为什么会形成地壳，太阳系中水的起源是什么？”中国国家航天局称，此次任务的目标是使用钻头和机械臂收集约 2 公斤（4.4 磅）的材料。 南极-艾特肯盆地是一个撞击坑，是太阳系中已知最大的撞击坑之一。 佩内-费舍尔教授说，从那里，探测器可以收集来自月幔深处（月球内核）的物质。 月球南极是探月任务的下一个前沿——各国都渴望了解该地区，因为那里很可能有冰。 获得水将大大增加在月球上成功建立人类科学研究基地的机会。 如果任务成功，飞船将带着珍贵的样本返回地球，并装载在一个特殊的返回舱上。 这些材料将在特殊条件下保存，以尽可能保持其原始状态。 中国的科学家将首先有机会分析岩石，随后世界各地的研究人员也可以申请这个机会。 这是中国第二次启动月球样本采集任务。 2020 年，嫦娥五号从月球近侧一个名为风暴之洋（Oceanus Procellarum）的区域带回了 1.7 公斤物质。 中国计划在十年内再进行三项无人飞行任务，在月球上寻找水并研究在那里建立永久基地。 北京的更广泛战略目标是在 2030 年左右让中国宇航员登上月球。 美国也在计划让宇航员重返月球，美国宇航局计划在 2026 年启动阿尔忒弥斯 3 号任务。
