China returns moon soil samples to Earth
With the return of the Chang’e 6 probe to Earth, China becomes the first country in the world to obtain samples of rock and soil from the moon’s dark side.
This probe released the reentry capsule carrying these samples into Earth’s orbit, and the capsule landed in a rural area in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Tuesday.
The Chang’e 6 probe, named after the Chinese moon goddess, was launched into space from southern China on May 3rd and landed on the side of the moon that is never seen from Earth on June 2nd. Due to its gravitational interaction with Earth, the moon only shows one side to the inhabitants of the blue planet as it rotates around it.