The moon does not rotate, so from the Earth we can only see one side of it. In 2014 China became the first nation to land a spacecraft on that far side of the moon. Since that time, the Chinese space program has continued its exploration of this unknown region. The most recent mission was able to collect and bring back two kilos of rocks and dust that may provide new information about this unseen side of the lunar surface. The Chang’e-6 landing module touched down on the Moon on 1 June 2024. It used a robotic arm to drill and scoop up the samples. It then lifted into space to rendezvous with the main spacecraft which brought it back to Earth. This followed five previous lunar missions (Chang’e-1 through 5) that included Chang’e-4 being the first craft to ever land on the far side, where it established a small weather station. 

“This is a great achievement by China,” said Martin Barstow, a professor of astrophysics and space science at the University of Leicester (UK). “Recovering any samples from the moon is difficult, but doing so from the far side, where communications are particularly unreliable, is a real technological feat.” The Chang’e mission series will continue with missions 7 and 8. These will set the stage for the creation of a permanent base on the far side of the Moon. In addition to these accomplishments, the Chinese space program has also begun to explore Mars. They have technology similar to what the US and EU already are using. This includes a spacecraft that orbits the “Red Planet”, and it controls a roving vehicle that explores the Martian surface.