June 25, 2024 CE / East Asia
Chang'e 6 Returns the First Samples from the Moon's Far Side
The Chang'e 6 return capsule landed safely carrying samples from the far side of the Moon, completing humanity's first sample return from the lunar far side and providing new physical material for comparing the Moon's near and far sides.
The story
On June 25, 2024, the Chang'e 6 return capsule landed in the designated area of Siziwang Banner in Inner Mongolia, bringing back samples from the far side of the Moon. The mission launched from Wenchang on May 3 and landed on June 2 in a preselected area of the South Pole–Aitken Basin on the Moon's far side. With communication supported by the Queqiao 2 relay satellite, it completed sampling and the return journey. It was the world's first sample return from the lunar far side, rather than humanity's first acquisition of lunar samples. The map marks the Wenchang launch site as the mission's starting point on Earth; the actual sampling location was on the Moon.
Elsewhere in the world
Lunar samples, remote sensing, and space exploration provide different forms of evidence for humanity's understanding of the Earth-Moon system; the new material offers opportunities for comparison in international lunar research.
Dates and precision
June 25, 2024 CE Documented date
Positioned by the documented year, month or day; missing months and days are not inferred.
Representative map location
Wenchang · Launch site
Wenchang was the mission’s launch site on May 3. The return capsule landed in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia, on June 25; the samples were collected on the Moon’s far side.
Representative coordinates · 19.614°, 110.951°
Coordinates locate a representative point for the story. They do not mean the event happened only here and do not represent historical borders.
Bibliography
- China National Space Administration | Chang'e 6 Mission Successfully Completes the World's First Sample Return from the Lunar Far Side
Sources are listed as bibliography titles, without external links. A reference does not mean every sentence or interpretation has been independently verified.