The re-entered capsule landed in a designated area in Inner Mongolia at 2:07 p.m. Beijing time, carrying lunar soil collected from the giant crater of the South Pole-Aitken Basin (South Pole-Aitken Basin) located on the side of the moon that never faces Earth.
Following the successful landing, Zhang Kejian, head of China's National Space Administration declared that the mission was a success.
Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed the Chang'e-6 mission as a “marker” in his country's space program.
The samples taken, estimated to amount to about 2 kilograms, will be analyzed by Chinese and international scientists. Researchers believe these samples hold the key to uncovering new secrets about the formation of the Earth-Moon system and the solar system as a whole.
The Chang'e-6 mission adds to a new chapter in the growing rivalry between China and the United States in space exploration.
Earlier, the US expressed doubts about the launch of the mission.
Meanwhile, the European Space Agency (ESA) and European scientists have expressed interest in collaborating with China on data and sample analysis, highlighting the potential for scientific cooperation despite geopolitical tensions.
The success of Chang'e-6 paves the way for further collaboration and scientific discovery as humanity attempts to understand the far side of the moon in greater detail.
Reuters
