CHINA LANDS A SPACECRAFT ON THE MOON'S FAR SIDE TO COLLECT ROCKS FOR STUDY

A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday (02) to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better known near side.

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The landing module touched down at 6:23 a.m. Beijing time in a huge crater known as the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the China National Space Administration said.

The mission is the sixth in the Chang’e moon exploration program, which is named after a Chinese moon goddess. It is the second designed to bring back samples, following the Chang’e 5, which did so from the near side in 2020.

The moon program is part of a growing rivalry with the U.S. — still the leader in space exploration — and others, including Japan and India. China has put its own space station in orbit and regularly sends crews there.