China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe recently completed an unprecedented journey, returning to Earth with precious samples collected from the always hidden side of the Moon in the eyes of humanity. This mission marks a turning point in space exploration and strengthens China’s role as a leader in the study of our natural satellite.
The Chang’e-6 landed in China’s northern Inner Mongolia region on Tuesday. This mission, which lasted almost two months, was broadcast live by CCTV, China’s state television, showing the module’s landing assisted by a parachute.
L’China National Space Administration (CNSA) declared the mission “a complete success”, with the probe operating smoothly until re-entry. The success of this mission is particularly significant since China is the only country to have landed and collected samples on the side of the Moon that never faces Earth.
The mission saw the lander use a robotic arm and a drill to collect about 2 kg of lunar material. These samples, collected over several days, are of great scientific importance, as they are expected to offer Chinese and international scientists new insights into the formation of the solar system and the differences between the far side of the Moon and the Earth-facing side.
This mission fits into a broader context of China’s space aspirations, which saw the country invest considerable resources in its space program to compete with powers such as the United States and Russia. With the success of Chang’e-5 in 2020, which brought back samples from the near side of the Moon, and now with Chang’e-6, China is positioning itself as an emerging power in the space race.
The success of the CNSA does not stop here: Beijing plans to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030, thus further expanding its capabilities and scope in the field of space exploration. The president of the Italian Space Agency, Teodoro Valente, regarding the return of the Chinese Chang’e 6 mission, declared: “The return of the Chang’e 6 probe it’s a success for everyone. Having brought back over two kilograms of rocks and lunar soil to earth coming from the far side of the Moon will have an important impact on lunar studies and will allow us to make progress in understanding the evolution of our natural satellite. The material that has reached Earth is precious and of considerable importance for studies also on the next steps related to the human return to the Moon. In particular, the study of the regolith collection will be fundamental to confirm the composition and possible use of this widespread material on the lunar surface. The Italian Space Agency in collaboration with the Polytechnic of Milan is developing the Oracle project (Oxygen Retrieval Asset by Carbothermal-reduction in Lunar Environment) intended precisely for the study of the use of regolith. The primary objective is to demonstrate the possibility of extracting oxygen from this material.
In collaboration with the University of Padua, however, it is ithe Glams project (Geopolymers for Additive Manufacturing and Lunar Monitoring)whose purposes concern the possible creation of structural elements for the construction of lunar baseswith three-dimensional printing processes that exploit cementitious binders formulated starting from regolith.
These studies represent one of the many applicative implications of ASI activities linked to Italy’s involvement in the return to the Moon. The use of “raw” materials in situ represents, in fact, a key capability of future space exploration missions“.
