Chinese Probe May Answer Questions About the Solar System's Origins

The Chinese lunar probe "Chang'e-6" is nearing its launch from the far side of the moon and is set to return to Earth, concluding its historic journey after collecting samples that scientists hope will help answer significant questions about the origins of the solar system. The spacecraft "Chang'e-6," named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess, launched on May 3 from Hainan Island in southern China. It landed yesterday (Sunday) in an unexplored location on the far side of the moon, which does not face Earth. The previous Chinese space mission "Chang'e-5" successfully collected samples from the moon's Earth-facing side in 2020, an achievement that reignited global efforts to bring back samples after a long hiatus of 44 years. After landing, "Chang'e-6" had 14 hours to drill, excavate, and collect up to 2 kilograms of lunar material, aiming to be the first probe to successfully bring back samples from the far side, or the dark side, of the moon. Meanwhile, the "Chang'e-5" probe, which launched in 2020, had 21 hours to complete this task.