China Lands Chang'e-6 Spacecraft on Moon's Far Side
The Facts
- The China National Space Administration has announced that the PRC's uncrewed Chang'e-6 spacecraft successfully landed in a large crater on the far side of the moon called the South Pole-Aitken Basin at 6:23 a.m. Beijing time Sunday.
- The Chang'e-6, which launched May 3, will collect soil and rock samples from the moon's far side for the first time in history and return to Earth in about 53 days.
- According to the space agency, the mission was guided by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite to navigate the side of the moon that's always facing away from Earth.
Sources Split
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The Spin
Pro-China narrative
This successful landing shows the PRC's engineering prowess in space exploration. This mission — China's most complex robotic lunar endeavor to date — will provide an unprecedented comparison between the dark, unexplored region and the better-known near side and also be a key milestone in China's push to become a dominant space power.
Anti-China narrative
A surge in missions to the moon is unfolding worldwide — a dangerous trend driven by the intent to dominate and monopolize the moon's resources for commercial purposes. China's growing space power, in particular, is a matter of grave concern, as Beijing may claim territoriality and leverage it to further its regional and domestic political and military interests.
Metaculus Prediction
There's a 50% chance that the next human being will walk on the moon by May 25, 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
