The moon’s far side has been a mystery for many years, leaving scientists with numerous questions about its differences from the near side that we see from Earth almost every night. Recent years have seen an increase in efforts to explore the far side in order to uncover its hidden secrets. In June 2024, China made headlines with its Chang’e 6 space probe landing on the moon’s far side, marking a significant step in lunar exploration.
The Chang’e 6 mission, launched by China on May 3, 2024, aimed to collect samples of lunar regolith (a surface layer of dust, sand, and rock fragments) from the moon’s far side. This mission follows a similar one in 2020 when China’s Chang’e 5 probe successfully retrieved samples from Oceanus Procellarum on the moon’s near side. In 2019, China achieved the first successful landing on the far side of the moon with the Chang’e 4 mission, deploying a landing platform and the rover Yutu-2 to the Von Kármán crater in the southern hemisphere.
After landing in the southern mare of the Apollo Basin, the Chang’e 6 probe used a robotic drill and arm to collect samples, which were then transferred to a module in lunar orbit. This module successfully returned to Earth on June 25, 2024, landing in Inner Mongolia. Scientists will now study these samples to unravel the mysteries of the far side of the moon.
The exploration of the lunar far side has faced challenges due to communication difficulties and the rugged terrain, which is filled with craters and has fewer maria compared to the near side. The far side was first captured in low-resolution images by the Soviet Union’s Luna 3 spacecraft in 1959. NASA’s Ranger 4 spacecraft crash-landed on the far side in 1962, marking the first U.S. spacecraft to reach another celestial body.
With the renewed interest in lunar exploration from various nations and private companies, the far side is becoming an attractive destination for future missions. Nations like China and the U.S. are eyeing the strategic development potential of the moon, particularly the water ice deposits in lunar soil that could be crucial for base construction near the lunar south pole.
The U.S.’s Artemis program, launched in 2017, aims to establish the Lunar Gateway space station near the moon by 2027. Collaborating with the European Space Agency and other programs, the Artemis program is part of the broader effort to further explore the moon. NASA is also supporting private companies like Draper Laboratory and Firefly Aerospace to send missions to the far side for scientific research and technological advancements.
The far side of the moon offers a unique opportunity for studying radio signals and understanding space’s early history, as it is a radio-quiet zone shielded from Earth’s radio emissions. Maintaining this radio silence is crucial for future research in the area. As interest in the far side continues to grow, with planned missions like Chang’e 7 and Chang’e 8 from China, we may be entering a new space race that will drive scientific advancements and enhance our understanding of the moon’s secrets.
