Watch Video of China's Chang'e-6 Lands on Far Side of Moon

China has achieved a remarkable milestone in space exploration with the successful landing of the Chang'e 6 sample-return probe on the far side of the moon. 

This historic event took place inside Apollo Crater, within the vast South Pole-Aitken basin, at 6:23 a.m. Beijing Time on Sunday (June 2). 

For those in the United States, it was 6:23 p.m. EDT (2223 GMT) on June 1 when the probe touched down. 

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed the probe "successfully landed in the pre-selected area," marking a significant achievement for China's lunar ambitions.

Watch the Video Below :

China lands on far side of the Moon pic.twitter.com/JhJrIBzzqg

— RT (@RT_com) June 2, 2024

The Chang'e 6 mission is notable for being the second successful far-side lunar landing by China, following the Chang'e 4 mission that landed a lander-rover combo in January 2019. 

This accomplishment places China in a unique position, as no other country has successfully landed on the moon's far side even once. 

The Chang'e 6 mission aims to further solidify China's place in lunar exploration history by collecting and returning samples from the moon's far side to Earth. 

This would be the first time material from this less-explored part of the moon is brought back for detailed study.

The mission involves several engineering innovations and comes with high risks and great difficulty. 

Launched on May 3, Chang'e 6 embarked on a bold and unprecedented task: to haul home samples from the moon's far side, which always faces away from Earth due to the moon's tidal lock. 

This means the moon completes one rotation on its axis in roughly the same amount of time it takes to orbit our planet, so we always see the same side of the moon from Earth.

Exploring the far side of the moon presents unique challenges, primarily in communication. 

It requires special relay orbiters to facilitate communication with robots operating there. 

To address this, China launched the Queqiao-2 relay satellite ahead of the Chang'e 6 mission. This satellite played a crucial role in aiding the Chang'e 6 landing.

After arriving in lunar orbit about four days after liftoff, Chang'e 6 spent the next few weeks carefully examining its planned landing site and preparing for the landing. 

The mission's orbiter, equipped with an Earth-reentry module, remains in lunar orbit while the lander has touched down softly in Apollo Crater. 

Over the next few days, the lander will study its surroundings and collect approximately 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of lunar dirt and rock. 

These samples will include material from the surface and up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) underground, thanks to the lander's onboard drill.

Once collected, the samples will be launched into lunar orbit by a rocket that accompanied the lander. 

The sample container will then rendezvous with the Chang'e 6 orbiter and begin the long journey back to Earth, eventually landing under parachutes on June 25. 

Scientists eagerly await these samples, which will provide invaluable insights into the moon's history and evolution, and help unravel the mysteries of why the lunar far side differs so significantly from the near side.

Comparisons between the samples returned by Chang'e 6 and those collected by Chang'e 5 in December 2020 will be particularly enlightening. 

These studies will shed light on the moon's volcanic activity, the formation of its surface, and other geological processes.

Watch the incredible video of the Chang'e 6 landing on the far side of the moon and witness history in the making. 

This mission not only advances our understanding of the moon but also showcases China's growing prowess in space exploration.