Gordon_R
Honorary Master
China says its Chang'e-6 mission successfully lands on Moon's far side
The mission hopes to bring rocks back to earth from the far side of the Moon for the first time.
www.bbc.com
Most of the rocks collected so far are volcanic, similar to what we might find in Iceland or Hawaii.
But the material on the far side would have a different chemistry .
"It would help us answer those really big questions, like how are planets formed, why do crusts form, what is the origin of water in the solar system?" the professor says.
The mission aims to collect about 2kg (4.4lb) of material using a drill and mechanical arm, according to the CNSA.
This is the second time China has launched a mission to collect samples from the Moon.
In 2020 Chang'e 5 brought back 1.7kg of material from an area called Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon's near side.