China Landed on the Moon, overtaking NASA: What next?

China’s Chang’e 6 mission has successfully reached the far side of the moon, marking a significant milestone in lunar exploration. This mission, which launched on May 3, 2024, from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, aims to return samples from the moon’s far side for the first time in history. The mission follows China’s previous successful lunar missions, including the Chang’e 4, which in 2019 became the first spacecraft to land on the moon’s far side. Chang’e 6 is composed of several components: a lunar orbiter, a lander, an ascender, and an Earth re-entry module. The lander is expected to collect 2 kilograms of lunar soil and rock, including samples from up to 6.5 feet underground, from the Apollo crater in the South Pole-Aitken basin. These samples could provide crucial insights into the moon’s early history and geological evolution. After collection, the samples will be transported back to Earth, with the mission expected to take 53 days in total. The United States has not yet landed on the far side of the moon due to technical, and strategic reasons. Landing on the far side of the moon presents unique technical challenges. The far side is not directly visible from Earth, making communication with landers or astronauts on this side impossible without relay satellites. Additionally, the terrain is much more rugged and cratered, which complicates landing and navigation. China addressed these challenges with their Chang’e missions by launching relay satellites, such as Queqiao, to facilitate communication.