Context: China’s Chang’e-6 lunar lander successfully landed in the South Pole-Aitken Basin (the far side of the moon), where it will begin to collect samples from the lunar surface.
About Chang’e-6 Mission:
- The Chang’e-6 is a 53-day-long mission. After reaching the Moon’s orbit, the mission’s orbiter will circle the natural satellite while its lander will descend into the 2,500-kilometre-wide South Pole-Aitken basin on the lunar surface.
- After collecting samples through scooping and drilling, the lander will launch an ascent vehicle, which will transfer the samples to the orbiter’s service module. This module will then return to the Earth.
- Note: China is the only country to achieve a soft-landing on the far side of the Moon. In 2019, its Chang’e-4 mission landed on the region and explored the Moon’s Von Karman crater with the help of a rover.
Facts about the Moon:
- The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, meaning that the same side of the Moon always faces Earth. This side is known as the near side, while the opposite side is called the far side or the "dark" side (although it does receive sunlight).
- The Moon takes roughly the same amount of time to complete one full orbit around the Earth as the Earth takes to complete one full rotation on its axis.
- As a result, one side of the Moon always faces the Earth, while the other side (far side) faces away from Earth. Thus, we can see only one side of the Moon.
Near side and Far side of the Moon have strikingly different appearances:
Near side:
- The near side is characterised by large, dark basaltic plains called maria (dark spots), which are believed to have formed from ancient volcanic eruptions. These maria cover about 31% of the near side and are less common on the far side.
- The near side also has fewer impact craters compared to the far side.
Far side:
- The far side is more heavily cratered and lacks the extensive maria (dark spots) found on the near side.
- The far side has a thicker crust and is more mountainous, with the highest elevations on the Moon. It has a thicker crust by almost 20 km.
- One of the most prominent features on the far side is the South Pole-Aitken basin, which is the largest known impact crater in the Solar System.
Why is the Far side of the Moon important for us?
- South Pole-Aitken Basin is the oldest known impact crater in the solar system. The impact that created the basin is thought to have dug up material from the lunar mantle. If that material can be retrieved, scientists can learn more about the history of the interior of the Moon. Chang’e-6’s sample return could also shed more light on the early evolution of the moon and the inner solar system.
- The far side is completely free from radio interference from Earth. This makes it an ideal location for setting up giant radio telescopes that could detect ultra-low radio waves that emanate from the early universe and which would provide crucial information about the formation of the first galaxies.
- The far side might hold resources like water ice trapped in permanently shadowed craters. These resources could be vital for future lunar settlements or exploration efforts.
