Chinese probe carrying lunar rocks departs from far side of Moon

BEIJING: China’s Chang’e-6 spacecraft has taken off from the far side of the moon and begun its journey back to Earth, the China National Space Agency announced on Tuesday.

The spacecraft’s successful launch from the moon means China is close to becoming the first country to bring back samples from the far side of the Moon, which remains permanently pointed away from Earth.

The spacecraft, which left the Moon at 7:38 a.m. local time (2338 GMT), successfully completed sample collection on June 2-3.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) said in a statement that Chang’e-6 “withstood the high temperature test on the far side of the moon”.

According to the CNSA, compared to its predecessor Chang’e-5, which collected samples from the near side of the Moon, Chang’e-6 faced the additional technical challenge of operating without direct communication with ground stations on Earth.

Instead, the probe relied on relay satellite Queqiao-2, which was put into orbit in April, for communications.

The spacecraft used a drill and robotic arm to dig into soil on and beneath the moon’s surface, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Chang’e-6 displayed China’s national flag on the far side of the moon for the first time after retrieving the sample, the Beijing Daily said.

The CNSA said on Tuesday morning that the spacecraft is now in the Moon’s orbit and will join other spacecraft in orbit.

The samples will then be transferred to a return module, which will return to Earth and land in China’s Inner Mongolia region around June 25.

The return of lunar samples to Earth is being closely watched by scientists around the world, who hope that soil collected by Chang’e-6 could help answer questions about the origins of the solar system.

The mission has also been closely watched domestically as a source of national pride. Last month, thousands of tourists flocked to various scenic spots on the southern island province of Hainan to watch the launch of Chang’e-6.

Photos of a hole created on the lunar surface by Chang’e-6’s sample drilling went viral on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Tuesday after state broadcaster CCTV said the hole was shaped like the character “zhong,” an allusion to the Chinese word for China, “Zhongguo.”

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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Reuters)