Trending Science: Chinese spacecraft makes historic landing on far side of the moon

On 3 January at 10.26 a.m. Beijing time (02.26 GMT) China’s state news agency ‘Xinhua’ announced that the “Chang’e-4 probe touched down on the far side of the moon … becoming the first spacecraft soft-landing on the moon’s uncharted side never visible from Earth.” According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA) the unmanned space probe successfully landed at the preselected landing area.

One small step for China, one giant leap for space exploration

This was the first time China had “attempted something that other space powers have not attempted before” Ye Quanzhi an astronomer at the California Institute of Technology told the ‘BBC’. The CNSA and the country’s media channels are hailing the event as a major milestone for space exploration and with good reason. To date all moon missions have landed on the side facing Earth. The landing marks the first time any craft has landed successfully on the unexplored and rugged far side that always faces away from Earth. Rival NASA gave credit where credit is due. “Congratulations to China’s Chang’e-4 team for what appears to be a successful landing on the far side of the Moon. This is a first for humanity and an impressive accomplishment!” NASA Administrator Jim Brindestine tweeted.

The Chang’e-4 probe will explore the Von Kármán crater located in the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Speaking to the ‘BBC’, Andrew Coates, physics professor at University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory, said: “This huge structure is over 2,500km […] in diameter and 13km deep, one of the largest impact craters in the Solar System and the largest, deepest and oldest basin on the Moon.” It’s an ideal place to research the environment and solar bursts, and explore the far reaches of the universe.

Chang’e-4 is bringing along instruments to examine the far side’s geology and carry out biological experiments. Equipment includes a panoramic camera, a radar to probe beneath the lunar surface and an imaging spectrometer to identify minerals. In an attempt to form a mini biosphere and observe whether plants will grow in the low-gravity environment, it’s also carrying a container with six live species: cotton, rapeseed, potato, Arabidopsis (a flowering plant), fruit fly and yeast. The Arabidopsis plant may produce the first flower on the moon.

First photos usher in new chapter in moon exploration

The spacecraft consists of a lander and a robotic rover. The rover separated from the lander on the moon’s surface a few hours after touchdown and has now begun its mission. ‘Xinhua’ reported that Chang’e-4 has already transmitted back the world’s first close-range image of the far side.

The biggest challenge for such a mission is communications since there’s no way to establish a direct radio link. Because the area where the Chang’e-4 landed has no view of Earth, it’s not possible to communicate directly with ground control. China removed this obstacle in 2018 by launching a dedicated satellite orbiting the moon that will be able to relay information from Chang’e-4 to Earth.

A CNSA news release says the mission will provide “scientists more opportunities to explore the universe” adding that “only in-situ exploration might reveal the secrets” of the far side’s lunar crust.