The probe returned home, the Chinese were the first to bring samples from the dark side of the Moon to Earth

The Chinese lunar probe has returned to Earth with the first samples from the unexplored far side of the Moon, writes the BBC. Chang’e-6 landed in the desert of Inner Mongolia on Tuesday, after a nearly two-month mission that was fraught with risk. Scientists are eagerly awaiting Chang’e-6 because the samples could answer key questions about how planets form.

China is the only country that landed on the opposite side of the moon, butć it did so in 2019. The far side, which faces away from Earth, is technically difficult to reach due to the distance and difficult terrain of huge craters and few flat surfaces.

Scientists are interested in this less-explored side because they hope it might contain traces of ice, which can be harvested for water, oxygen and hydrogen. The Chang’e-6 mission is a source of pride for a nation that has stepped up its missions to the moon, attracting the attention of its rival, the United States. State media showed officials raising the Chinese flag immediately after the Chang’e-6 capsule touched down in the desert of Inner Mongolia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called to pay tribute to those at the Chang’e-6 mission command center. Mr. Xi said he hoped they could continue to explore deep space and “reach new heights in uncovering the mysteries of the universe… to benefit humanity and advance the nation.”

Chang’e-6 took off from the space center in early May, and a few weeks later it successfully landed in a crater near the Moon’s south pole. His mission lasted 53 days. The probe will be sent to Beijing and samples will be taken there, reports state television CCTV.

This is the sixth Chinese mission to the moon, and the second to the opposite side. The probe was named after the moon goddess Chang’e in Chinese mythology. The probe used a drill and a robotic arm to pick up soil and rocks, took several photos of the surface and planted a Chinese flag. Over the past decade, Beijing has invested enormous resources in its space program in an effort to catch up with both the US and Russia.

It aims to send a manned mission to the moon by 2030 and plans to eventually build a base on the south pole of the moon. The US also plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2026 with its Artemis 3 mission.

Analysts believe that the next space race will not only be about sending people to the moon, that is to say. about who can claim their right and control the lunar resources.