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China's probe returns to Earth with the first samples from the far side of the Moon

2024-06-25 09:25:00, Kosova & Bota CNA
China's probe returns to Earth with the first samples from the far side of
The Chinese flag carried by China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe is displayed on news screens in Beijing, June 4, 2024. Source: Reuters

China's lunar probe, Chang'e-6, landed on Earth on Tuesday, making China the first country in the world to bring back rock and soil samples from the far side of the Moon.

The probe landed in northern China on Tuesday afternoon, local time.

Chinese scientists predict that samples taken from the moon will include 2.5 billion-year-old volcanic rocks, as well as other materials that scientists hope will help answer questions about the geographical differences between the two sides of the moon.

While American and Soviet missions have collected samples from the near side of the moon, the Chinese mission became the first to collect samples from the far side.

The near part, what they see from Earth, while the far part is facing the outer space. The far part is also known for ridges and pits, in contrast to the mostly flat parts seen in the near part.

The probe was launched from the earth on May 3, while its journey lasted 53 days. The probe dug into the moon and extracted rocks from its surface.

The samples "are expected to provide answers to one of the most fundamental questions in the scientific investigation of the moon: what geological activity is responsible for the differences between its two parts?" said Zongyu Yue, a geologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a statement released on Innovation Monday.

In recent years, China has successfully carried out numerous missions to the moon, collecting samples from the near side of the moon./ REL





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