Journey to the moon: China's lunar exploration scales new heights over 20 years

Three months after China's latest lunar probe returned to Earth, the samples brought back by the Chang'e-6 mission have revealed new secrets about the far side of the moon.

Last week, research revealed key differences between the lunar samples retrieved by Chang'e-6 and the previous Chang'e-5 mission.

Compared with the Chang'e-5 lunar samples, the Chang'e-6 samples appear slightly lighter in color due to differences in mineral composition. They contain significantly more plagioclase and less olivine. Additionally, their lower density suggests a more porous and loosely structured composition.

In June, China completed the Chang'e-6 mission after a 53-day journey. It made history as the first to return material from the moon's far side, bringing back 1,935.3 grams of valuable lunar samples.

"The Chang'e-6 mission represents a significant milestone in the history of human lunar exploration, and it will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of lunar evolution," said Yang Wei, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Read more:

Chang'e-6: Journey to the far side of the moon, Ep. 1 – Lunar landing

Chang'e-6: Journey to the far side of the moon, Ep. 2 – Sampling

Chang'e-6: Journey to the far side of the moon, Ep. 3 – Lunar samples' journey to Earth

Chang'e-6: Journey to the far side of the moon, Ep. 4 – Back to Earth

Concrete steps forward in 20 years

"Fascination with the moon is rooted in Chinese culture down the ages, as evidenced by the mythological narrative of Chang'e, a lady who journeyed to and resided on the moon," said Yang.

China's lunar exploration project, named after this legend, officially launched in 2004.

Following a three-step plan, orbiting, landing and sample return, the country launched its first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, in 2007. The mission provided a comprehensive map of the moon's surface, unveiling previously unseen details.

The Chang'e-2 lunar orbiter was launched in 2010, mapping the moon from an altitude of merely 100 kilometers, capturing an image with an unprecedented resolution of seven meters. In 2013, Chang'e-3 achieved a successful soft landing on the lunar surface. Along with it, China's first lunar rover, Yutu (Jade Rabbit), left its mark on the lunar surface and set the record for the longest-working rover on the moon so far. Launched in 2018, Chang'e-4 made history in 2019 as the first probe to land on the far side of the moon, followed by the successful Chang'e-5 mission in 2020, which returned with 1,731 grams of lunar samples, the first lunar sampling mission in over four decades.

Advancing to new stages

China's lunar exploration project is far from over. With the success of Chang'e-6, the country is pushing forward with its fourth phase of lunar exploration.

The country plans to send Chang'e-7 to the lunar south pole for environmental and resource exploration around 2026 and the Chang'e-8 probe around 2028 to conduct technical verification of in-situ utilization of lunar resources, paving the way for the construction of an international lunar research station (ILRS).

The ILRS will be a scientific experimental facility with a lunar surface base, orbital stations and Earth-based components. It is projected to be constructed in two phases: a basic model to be built by 2035 in the lunar south pole region and an extended model to be built by about 2050.

The ambitious project has garnered significant international interest, with over 10 countries and over 40 institutions signing on for cooperation.

"We are open and welcome international cooperation from all countries, including those countries from the Global South, emerging BRICS countries, as well as Western and EU countries," Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, told CGTN in an interview in July. "We do not have any isolation or exclusion policy, and we want to cooperate in an all-round way,"

"I think our principle is to share data, share results; we are willing to co-build and co-share with our partners. We don't have anything special or any exclusive team. Therefore, China's aerospace and lunar exploration programs, including planetary exploration, are all open to the whole world," said Wu.