China launches world’s first mission to collect samples from the far side of the moon

The moment China launches a rocket ship to the far side of the moon

China has launched the world’s first mission to collect samples from the far side of the moon.

If successful, the material gathered could provide answers to the history of the moon, the solar system and confirm when life was created on earth.

The Chang’e 6 robotic spacecraft will land in the south pole, an area of the moon never visible from earth.

The slow rotation of the moon means the far side is always facing away from us.

A relay satellite already sent into space will help facilitate communications between the Chinese ground stations and the Chang’e 6.

The 53-day mission is one of the most ambitious and complex ever undertaken by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

It aims to touch down in the Apollo crater within the Aitken basin, which is believed to be the oldest, largest, and deepest basin on the moon, created over four billion years ago.

The lack of volcanic activity on the far side of the moon means there is a vast area not covered by ancient lava flows, so the substances gathered by Chang’e 6 could give scientists an insight into how the moon was first formed.

The only samples returned from the moon so far by the United States, Russia and China have come from the nearside of the moon.

China was late to join the space race which, since it started 70 years ago, has been dominated by the world’s other two great powers – Russia and the United States.

China has come a long way with its space program thanks to heavy state backing and a flourishing commercial industry.

But the United States has raised concerns about the ultimate intentions of the Communist Party’s space ambitions - with one NASA official claiming China is seeking to take over the moon.

It was NASA who objected to China’s access to the International Space Station, citing technology transfer and national security concerns, and by law NASA is prohibited from cooperating with the CNSA.

Getting blocked from the ISS prompted China to build its own space station, which became operational in 2022.

Although dwarfed by the ISS in capability and capacity, the Tiangong Space Station marked a major achievement for the CNSA.

There appear to be no concerns about cooperation from the European Space Agency. The Chang’e 6 mission involves collaboration from France, Sweden, Italy and Pakistan.

And China’s plans to build a permanent lunar base have the backing of a host of nations, many of which are also its Belt and Road partners.

The most prominent supporter is Russia. The Chinese-led initiative for the permanent base was launched alongside Russia in 2021.

All eyes are on the Chang’e 6 mission

We came to Wenchang on Hainan Island, the country’s Cape Canaveral, to witness the launch of the Chang’e 6 mission.

We watched as dark clouds rolled in just minutes before the launch was due to take place. It made for an ominous setting and mutterings started to circle the platform we were standing on that perhaps this might not go ahead.

But right on time, the rockets engines flared and the Chang’e mission blasted off as planned at 5.27 pm local time.

The fire from the engines were just visible through the rain and fog, but we felt the force of the lift off, and it the incredible noise and power it generated. It felt like the whole ground was vibrating.

Like all space endeavours, each stage of this project has been meticulously planned and tested. The Long March 5 launch vehicle, China’s largest and most powerful, was used for the blast off.

What follows are several complex stages to complete the Chang’e 6 mission.

The first test will be to see if it lands safely within the designated area in the Apollo crater.

Then, a scoop and a drill will be used to collect lunar samples, aiming to gather around two kilograms.

That precious cargo will be placed into an ascent vehicle which will be launched into orbit to rendezvous with a service module.

The service module will then head back to earth and release a re-entry capsule containing the samples, aiming to deliver them safely through the fast and fiery re-entry to the earth's atmosphere.

Space scientists all over the world will be waiting to get their eyes on the samples, the first they will get to examine from the moon’s south pole, which in their realm is the so-called ‘’golden belt’’ of lunar exploration.

For now, all eyes are on the Chang’e 6 mission but soon the focus will return to manned missions, with the Americans hoping to return astronauts to the moon in 2026 and China hoping to follow soon after.

The Communist Party wants boots on the moon by 2030, showing in space, as on earth, there are no bounds to China’s ambition.

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