China’s Chang’e 6 Landing Marks First Lunar Far Side Sample Return: What the Materials Mean for Future Research

On June 25, the return capsule of China’s Chang’e 6 mission successfully landed in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia after a fiery plunge through the atmosphere. This marked the end of the 53-day-long mission, which brought back the first-ever lunar far side samples to Earth. The capsule was then airlifted to Beijing and transferred to the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), where researchers opened it and examined key technical indicators.

During a ceremony held at CAST, a sample container holding up to 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of material from the moon was secured for further processing. These materials will be transferred to specialized facilities for storage, analysis, and distribution for research purposes. Just like the lunar samples collected by Chang’e 5 in 2020, these materials will be made available for research to scientists and institutions in China, with the possibility of applications from international researchers after two years.

NASA-funded researchers were granted special clearance last year to apply for access to lunar samples. This latest achievement in China’s space exploration efforts marks an important milestone in the study of the moon’s far side. The successful landing of Chang’e 6 has paved the way for further exploration and research on our neighboring planet.