Chang -6 Mission from China Returns with Rare Lunar Soil Samples

Soil samples from the far side of the moon have been successfully obtained by China's Chang'e-6 mission. Since material from this less-explored region has never been collected before, this is a significant step forward in our understanding of the moon.

China Cheers Technology Success for Chang'e-6 Mission

• The mission was launched in 2024 to retrieve samples from the lunar South Pole.
• In the samples, there is heavier in plagioclase and lighter in olivine than initial studies showed, representing a unique geological history on this side of the moon.
• The samples also included a diversity of rock fragments, suggesting a complex evolution for the far side.
• It disclosed a special set of chemical elements like thorium and uranium potassium to reveal factors responsible for moon creation and regional variability.
• This enabled future researchers to study the soil (nearly 2 kilograms of it), and better understand how the lunar surface evolved over time.