On Tuesday, a capsule carrying soil from the far side of the moon will parachute into the desert in China’s Inner Mongolia region.
The sample retrieved by the China National Space Administration’s Chang’e-6 lander is expected to be the latest in a string of near-flawless performances by China’s lunar exploration missions since 2007.
Here’s what you need to know about the return of the Chang’e-6 mission to Earth.
When is the landing and how can I watch it?
China’s space agency has not yet confirmed when the mission will end.
But according to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the Chang’e-6 sample return capsule is expected to land at 1:41 a.m. Eastern Time, which is 1:41 p.m. local time, in the Siziwang Banner area of Inner Mongolia, a region in northern China.
China Global Television Network, an international news channel owned by a Chinese state broadcaster, broadcast live video ahead of the expected landing time.
What is the opposite side of the moon?
For starters, don’t call it the dark side of the moon—it gets a lot of sunlight.
But when you look at the sky from Earth, you only see one side of the moon, the near side. Its face is dotted with wide dark plains where ancient lava once flowed.
The far side of the Moon – the half hidden to us on Earth – is different. There are fewer of these plains, more craters, and a thicker crust, although scientists aren’t sure why.
It may not be a mystery for much longer. China sent two missions there to study why it was so different from the nearby country.
What is China’s Chang’e Program?
Named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e (pronounced “chong-uh”), China’s lunar exploration program was originally designed in three stages: orbit, landing and sampling. The first two spacecraft, Chang’e-1 and 2, orbited the Moon, photographing and mapping its surface. Chang’e-3 landed on the near side of the moon in 2013, and in 2019, Chang’e-4 did the same on the far side. The rovers from both missions then took a closer look at the lunar surface.
One year later, Chang’e-5 landed and collected nearly four kilograms of lunar regolith, which was then launched back to Earth. The mission made China the third country – after the United States and the Soviet Union – to retrieve a sample from the moon.
What has happened during Chang’e-6 so far?
Chang’e-6 launched on May 3 with even bigger plans: returning material from the far side of the moon. Because this half never faces Earth, it is impossible to communicate directly with landers on the other side of the moon, making it difficult to reach successfully. China’s space agency is using two moon-orbiting satellites, Queqiao and Queqiao-2, to keep in touch with Chang’e-6 during the mission.
The spacecraft spent several weeks in lunar orbit before landing on the moon in June. It descended to a location on the edge of the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the oldest and deepest impact crater on the Moon.
Equipped with a mechanical scoop and a drill, Chang’e-6 spent two days collecting lunar rock and dust from its surroundings and beneath the moon’s surface. These samples were then hidden in the spacecraft. A small rover attached to the side of the spacecraft took a picture of the lander with the Chinese flag raised.
Then, on June 3, the spacecraft’s rocket lifted off, sending the samples into orbit around the moon. The materials were then reassembled on June 6 with a spacecraft that had remained in orbit and prepared to begin the journey back to Earth.
Sometime on Tuesday, the sample container will try to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. If the mission is as successful as Chang’e-4, China will recover the materials and begin the scientific study of their contents.
