A Chinese lunar probe Chang'e-6 has made history by returning with soil and rock samples from the side of the moon that's never seen from Earth. The mission increases Beijing's rivalry with the U.S. to dominate space and its resources. China aims to put a person on the moon before 2030.

Beijing

China’s Chang'e-6 lunar probe has successfully returned with samples from the far side of the moon. The spacecraft, which landed in Inner Mongolia, brought back lunar soil and rock samples that are expected to provide valuable insights into the origins and evolution of the moon, Earth, and the solar system. This mission marks the second time China has collected lunar soil, following the Chang'e-5 mission in 2020.

The Chang'e-6 mission is part of China's broader moon exploration campaign named after a mythical moon goddess. The lander touched down in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, a vast crater on the moon's dark side, and raised a Chinese flag designed to endure the harsh lunar environment for thousands of years. Experts emphasize the significance of the collected material, suggesting it could serve as a pivotal reference for understanding planetary history.

This successful mission underscores China's growing prominence in the space sector. The country aims to establish a human presence on the moon by 2030, aspiring to become a leading space power by 2045. Plans for further lunar exploration include a 2026 mission to the moon's south pole, involving international cooperation with countries such as Egypt and Bahrain.

China has engaged in over 40 agreements with 19 countries and four international organizations to foster global collaboration in space activities. Despite this, the U.S. has refrained from cooperating with China in space due to security concerns, highlighting an ongoing rivalry in space exploration.



China's lunar probe returns from far side of the moon

The Chang'e-6 spacecraft returns to Chinese soil, carrying the first-ever samples of lunar soil gathered from the far side of the moon. The probe landed in northern Inner Mongolia province on Tuesday afternoon. The mission takes Beijing one step closer to its ambition of putting a man on the moon before 2030. China wants to be a leader in space technology and I think there's no doubt that it's the second most important actor in space now behind the US. It's definitely eclipsed the Russian space program. The mission is the sixth in China's moon exploration program that's named after a mythical goddess of the moon. The lander touched down in a huge crater on the dark side of the moon called the South Pole-Aitken Basin at the beginning of June. After drilling for samples, the probe raised a Chinese flag made from basalt rock designed to last on the lunar surface for thousands of years. Experts say the collected material could provide clues into the origin and evolution of the moon, earth and solar system. It really is important because it's our early history. It's also essentially the Rosetta Stone for planetary history and also the model for how we understand other planetary bodies. So it's an incredible, incredible landing and sample collection treasure chest. This is the second time China has collected soil from the moon. The Chang'e 5 probe brought back rocks from the near side in 2020. A Chinese probe first landed on the far side a year before. The area is difficult to reach due to being out of range for communication with earth. Another lunar mission is planned to explore the moon's south pole in 2026. That will include Egypt and Bahrain. China has signed more than 40 agreements with 19 countries and four international organizations to promote global cooperation in space. China's space program is another aspect of its rivalry with the U.S. NASA has not cooperated with China in space for decades because of security concerns. Analysts say China's ambitions have military, diplomatic and economic implications, including the potential to exploit lunar resources. China aims to become a space superpower by 2045. It has its own space station and hopes to one day construct a research station and colony of humans on the moon. Katrina Yu, Al Jazeera, Beijing

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