Chang’e-6 mission

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China has launched its second mission (Chang’e-6) to the far side of the Moon. If successful, it will be the world’s first mission to bring back samples from the part of the Moon that the Earth never gets to see.

About the Chang’e-6 Mission

Objective: To land on the far side of the moon, collect samples of lunar material and return to the earth.

The Chang’e-6 is a 53-day-long mission.
After reaching the Moon’s orbit, the mission’s orbiter will circle the natural satellite while its lander will descend into the 2,500-kilometre-wide South Pole-Aitken basin on the lunar surface.
After collecting samples through scooping and drilling, the lander will launch an ascent vehicle, which will transfer the samples to the orbiter’s service module. This module will then return to the Earth.

South Pole-Aitken basin

The South Pole-Aitken Basin on the lunar far side is one of the largest and oldest impact features in the solar system. The low center is dark blue and purple. Mountains on its edge, remnants of outer rings, are red and yellow.

Color enhanced image showing massive impact region on the Moon.

The impact that created the basin is thought to have dug up material from the lunar mantle. If that material can be retrieved, scientists can learn more about the history of the Moon’s insides.

Additional Information

Moon’s Far Side

It is often referred to as the dark side because it cannot be seen from the Earth.
It is not because it does not catch the Sun’s rays but because the Moon is tidally locked with the Earth and therefore, we see only one side of the Moon, also known as the near side.
The far side has a thicker crust, more craters and fewer maria, or plains where lava once flowed.
Examining the samples from the far side can help scientists solve mysteries about the origin and evolution of the Moon.

Sources

Today Current Affairs Upsc Exam Syllabus & Previous Yearpaper.