China would shoot to the far side of the moon – here’s what it could discover

China is attempting to recover the first-ever soil and rock samples from the far side of the moon. The Chang’e 6 surface mission, named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e, is a precursor to the successful Chang’e 5 sample return mission and is part of China’s lunar exploration program.

The mission will be launched on May 3 using a long March 5 rocket at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan province. The spacecraft that will land on the moon is expected to weigh 3,200 kg and carry scientific equipment from France, Italy and European space. Desk.

Chang’e 5 was the first mission to return lunar samples since the Soviet Union’s Luna 24 in 1976. Chang’e 5 was hugely successful, returning 2 kg of material from the near side. This material led to important scientific discoveries, such as the youngest lunar material ever discovered. Previously, we only received much older samples back from the Apollo missions and sampled meteorites. The younger material recovered by Chang’e 5 helped scientists confirm the predicted age of impact craters on the moon.

The spacecraft will reach the moon in about 53 days and aims to collect about 2 kg of material from 2 meters below the surface. Chang’e 6 will attempt to land in the Southern Hemisphere, specifically in the southern part of the Apollo Crater, which is located in the South Pole and Aikin impact basin.

This impact basin, created by a large meteorite impacting the Moon, is believed to be the largest (2,400 km), deepest (6.2-8.2 km) and oldest (4.3 billion years old) on the Moon .

Large meteorite collisions with the moon’s surface could potentially strip away the crust – the outermost layer of the surface – and eject fragments of deeper-forming material. This means that studying the basin can help us learn more about what lies in the depths of the moon.

These deeper-forming materials, known as mantle-like material or dunite, are dominated by a mineral called olivine. Mantle-like materials in the Solar System, let alone lunar meteorite records or returned samples, are extremely rare.

Potential discoveries

One of the moon’s first mantle fragments was recently discovered in a meteorite called Northwest Africa 11421. This small fragment (0.7 cm long) is thought to have formed at a depth of about 88 km below the moon’s surface (give or take 22 km).

However, contamination of meteorites from Earth’s atmosphere can lead to anomalous results, especially regarding the hydrogen content of the sample.

Although Apollo 17 also brought back an olivine-rich sample, it is not yet clear whether this material comes from the mantle. In any case, these samples may be similar to those brought back from the Chang’e 6 mission.

Scientists have been unable to determine the mineral abundances and chemistry of the moon’s mantle. Material from the moon’s mantle will provide insight into fundamental planetary processes, such as unraveling the timing and mechanisms of the moon’s geological evolution.

Artist’s impression of the lander. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA

Chang’e 6 is one of the most exciting missions of 2024, and scientists are fervently hoping for a successful launch this week. Many of us, including myself, are extremely excited about the preliminary results.

And the journey for Chinese lunar exploration doesn’t end there. In 2026, Chang’e 7 will be heading toward the moon’s south polar region in the same way. However, Chang’e 7 will carry 21 scientific payloads, including a relay satellite, an orbiter, a lander, a rover and a small flying probe, with the aim of landing the first lunar rover.

This mission will also carry ‘mini-hopping probes’ to explore the permanently shadowed areas of the moon where ice of water may reside – a potentially crucial resource for future crewed missions to the moon.

These missions boost Chinese hopes of sending humans back to the moon by 2030. It is a truly fascinating time in planetary science and exploration.