China collects rare Moon rocks

China’s lunar probe has returned to Earth with the first-ever samples gathered from the far side of the Moon. The Chang’e-6 probe, named after the Chinese moon goddess, released a capsule carrying the rock and soil samples, and it parachuted onto the Inner Mongolian desert on 25 June, after a 53-day mission. This unexplored side of the Moon faces away from Earth and is difficult to reach. It is also hard to travel over because of giant craters. Chang’e-6 took off on 3 May from a space centre in China, and landed on the far side of the Moon on 2 June. The probe collected samples from the 1,600-mile-wide South Pole-Aitken basin (a huge crater) using a drill and robotic arm to scoop up soil and rocks. Scientists say the…

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The Week Junior (UK) (Digital) - 1 Issue, 447

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