Moon's Far Side & Earth View | China Chang'e-6 Sample-Return Moon Mission

Moon's Far Side & Earth View | China Chang'e-6 Sample-Return Moon Mission

Photo of the far side of the Moon taken by China's Chang'e 6 probe. In 2024, Chang'e-6 made history by bringing 1,935.3 grams of lunar far-side samples back to Earth. These samples were collected from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, the largest, deepest, and oldest basin on the Moon. It provided a rare opportunity to clarify the compositional differences between the near and far sides and to unravel the long-standing mystery of their asymmetry.

The Chang'e-6 probe was launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province on May 3, 2024. It touched down on the far side of the Moon on June 2. During its two-day stay, Chang'e-6 used a scoop and drill, collecting nearly 2 kilograms of lunar material. On June 25, 2024, its returner brought back the samples and made a landing in north China.

Image Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) 

Release Date: July 11, 2025

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