Chinese spacecraft, Chang’e-6 on Tuesday landed back on earth carrying valuable samples from less explored far side of the moon.
The China National Space Administration said that the probe “is functioning normally, signaling that the Chang’e-6 lunar exploration mission was a complete success”, according to an official statement.
When and Where it landed ?
The space probe landed in China’s inner Mongolia at 2.06 pm (Beijing time), transporting lunar soil gathered by the probe earlier this month.
The probe had successfully touched down on the moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin, an enormous impact crater located on the side of the moon that always faces away from earth.
What is far side of the moon?
The far side of the moon, often mistakenly referred to as the dark side, receives plenty of sunlight despite being invisible from earth.
But when observing the moon from our planet, we only see one side, known as the near side, which is characterized by expansive, dark plains formed by ancient lava flows.
In contrast, the far side of the moon exhibits distinct features, including a higher concentration of craters, fewer plains, and a thicker crust. Scientists have yet to determine the reasons behind these differences between the two sides of the moon.
The mission, which lasted 53 days, is considered a world first due to its technical complexity.