China’s Chang’e-6 probe returned to Earth on Tuesday with the first samples from the unexplored side of the Moon, a historic feat for Beijing and a boon for the country’s lofty space ambitions as it competes with the United States for a point of support. in the expanding countryside. frontier.
The Chang’e-6 lunar probe landed safely in China’s northern Inner Mongolia region around 2 p. m. (local time). Beijing time (2 a. m. EDT), according to state media, where he was temporarily located through officials planting a Chinese flag next to him.
The landing is a major achievement for Beijing’s ambitious domain program and caps a nearly two-month project on the far side of the Moon, a domain that is largely unexplored and difficult to reach due to its remoteness from Earth and its rugged terrain. and communication problems with probes without a transparent line of sight.
China is the only country that has managed to land on the face of the Moon and the probe is carrying the first samples of lunar dust and rocks collected in the region.
Scientists hope the samples will include 2. 5 million-year-old volcanic rock and other materials that they hope will shed light on significant differences between the Moon’s crater-rich far side and its flat near side, which still faces Earth.
The Chinese firm said the lander and tissues would be flown to Beijing to be opened, then studied and stored by scientists.
Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed the landing as a “historic achievement in our country’s efforts to become a space and technological power” and state media described the project as one of the “most complex and challenging projects in the country’s efforts. ” of China’s space exploration to date.
Beijing has made immediate progress in creating a leading force in space through a series of successful launches and missions, adding the launch of its own space station, demonstrating its technological firepower. Other projects are planned, adding a lunar survey station and manned missions to Mars and Beijing have declared they are engaged in a space race with the United States. The space race has raised concerns in Washington, where officials worry that China’s targets are far from nonviolent and may simply be skewed toward more nonviolent targets. Securing critical resources such as water and strategic territory on the Moon, in all likelihood for military purposes. Beijing firmly rejects such claims, even as experts point to its blunt territorial claims and aggression in regions such as the South China Sea as proof of its broader ambition. That can make this new frontier bigger.
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