Chang’e 6 mission returned: China has created another history in the field of space. China’s robotic Chang’e 6 mission returned to Earth on Tuesday after collecting samples from the far side of the Moon. The far side of the Moon is a place which is not visible from Earth. For the first time in the world, a Moon mission has returned to Earth with samples from that place. According to media reports, the capsule of Chang’e 6 mission landed in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 11:37 am today according to Indian time.
The Chang’e 6 mission had four main parts. These were – lunar lander, returning capsule, an orbiter and a small rocket that went with the lander. China launched this moon mission on May 3, which reached the moon’s orbit after just 5 days.
On June 1, the lander of the Chang’e 6 mission landed in the Apollo crater of the Moon’s vast South Pole – Aitken basin. According to Space.com, the lander collected about 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of samples using a scoop and drill. That material was put into a capsule returning to Earth and reached the lunar orbit with the help of a small rocket that went to the moon and then landed on Earth.
According to the US space agency NASA, the Chinese capsule started moving towards Earth around June 21. After their safe arrival on Earth, China’s moon mission has been successfully completed.
The Soviet Union and USA have also brought samples, then how is this different? Chang’e 6 mission is not the first mission that has brought samples from the moon to Earth. Soviet Union and USA have done this work before. Then how is China’s mission different? Actually, the part of the moon from which America and Soviet Union collected samples is always focused towards the Earth. For the first time, a country has collected samples from that part of the moon which is never visible from the Earth.
