China has just achieved a groundbreaking milestone in space exploration! The Chang'e-6 mission, led by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), successfully began returning the world's first lunar samples from the moon's far side on Tuesday. Talk about leveling up space science!
The spacecraft's ascender lifted off at 7:48 a.m. Beijing Time, using a powerful 3000N engine to enter lunar orbit. In a scene straight out of sci-fi, the samples—collected during a 48-hour drilling operation in the South Pole-Aitken Basin—are now en route to Earth.
Launched on May 3, the Chang'e-6 probe landed on the moon's far side on June 2. Its secret weapon? Intelligent rapid sampling tech that autonomously sealed the lunar material into storage devices. Think of it as the ultimate cosmic treasure hunt!
This mission marks a giant leap for global space research, offering new clues about the moon's formation and evolution. Who's excited for the next chapter?
Reference(s):
China begins returning world's 1st samples from moon's far side
cgtn.com