China launches first probe to collect samples from far side of Moon

Chang’e-6 is the first of three high-wire uncrewed missions to the Moon planned by China this decade.

Its successor, Chang’e-7, will scour the lunar south pole for water, while Chang’e-8 will attempt to establish the technical feasibility of building a planned base, known as the International Lunar Research Station, with Beijing saying a ” basic model” will be completed by 2030.

Scientists say the Moon’s dark side — so-called because it is invisible from Earth, not because it never catches the sun’s rays — holds great promise for research because its craters are less covered by ancient lava flows than the near side.

That might mean it is more possible to collect material that sheds light on how the Moon formed in the first place.

“The samples collected by Chang’e-6 will have a geological age of approximately 4 billion years,” Ge Ping, vice director of China’s Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, told journalists.

“Collecting lunar samples from different regions and geological ages, and conducting experiments is of great value and significance for humanity.”