China has successfully landed a probe on the back side of the moon, and it intends to bring part of it back to Earth with a load of rocks. The Chang’e-6 lander landed in the Aitken Basin near the South Pole. It touched down in a crater and appears to be operating normally. The lander has been in a lunar orbit for 20 days and is part of a four-part system that includes the orbiter, lander, ascender and reentry vehicle that will ultimately bring the payload home.
The robotic mission is a dress rehearsal for a crewed mission planned for 2030 and the eventual establishment of a base in the area, which may have ice. The mission began on May 3 and is scheduled to last 53 days. As for the scientific part of the mission, the samples are expected to reveal information on the origin and natural history of the moon. It’s China’s second successful uncrewed landing on the moon.
