China is set to reveal the weight of the historic lunar samples collected from the far side of the moon by the Chang'e-6 mission this Friday. Scientists worldwide are eagerly anticipating this announcement.
The Chang'e-6 mission marks a significant milestone, as it successfully gathered material from the moon's far side, a region that remains largely unexplored compared to the well-studied near side. Li Chunlai, deputy chief designer of the mission, highlighted that this achievement offers a unique opportunity to deepen our understanding of the moon.
Hu Hao, chief designer of Chang'e-6, hinted that the far-side samples might differ markedly from those collected previously. While near-side lunar soil is typically fine and loose, the far-side samples appear visually distinct, sparking scientific excitement and hopes for new discoveries.
The Chang'e-6 probe launched on May 3, 2024, and collected its samples from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, the largest known impact crater in the inner solar system. Formed over 4.3 billion years ago, the SPA Basin holds secrets about the moon's formation and history.
The return capsule successfully touched down on Earth this Tuesday, carrying the precious lunar cargo back to our planet.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
