China’s Chang’e-6 probe has successfully lifted off from the far side of the moon, initiating its return journey to Earth, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on Tuesday. This marks a significant milestone as China moves closer to becoming the first country to return samples from the moon’s far side, which permanently faces away from Earth.
The probe departed from the moon at 7:38 a.m. local time (2338 GMT) after completing its sample collection mission from June 2-3. The CNSA confirmed that Chang’e-6 had successfully endured the high temperatures on the moon’s far side during its mission.
Unlike its predecessor, Chang’e-5, which collected samples from the near side of the moon, Chang’e-6 had to overcome the challenge of operating without direct communication with ground stations on Earth. This was achieved by relying on the relay satellite Queqiao-2, which was put into orbit in April, for all communications.
During its mission, the probe used a drill and a robotic arm to gather soil from both the surface and below the surface of the moon, according to state news agency Xinhua. Notably, Chang’e-6 displayed China’s national flag on the moon’s far side after the sample collection, as reported by Beijing Daily.
Currently, the probe is in lunar orbit and is set to rendezvous with another spacecraft also in orbit. The collected samples will then be transferred to a return module, which is expected to land in China’s Inner Mongolia region around June 25.
The return of these lunar samples is being closely monitored by scientists worldwide, who are eager to analyze the soil collected by Chang’e-6 to gain insights into the origins of the solar system.
