Chang'e-6: What samples from the Moon's far side could reveal

Researchers are studying samples from an area that remains shrouded in mystery

China's Chang'e-6 capsule collected 1.953kg of samples from the Moon's far side. EPA

Chinese scientists will soon start analysing soil samples brought back from a largely unexplored area of the Moon.

A capsule from the Chang’e-6 mission brought back 1.935kg of soil from the far side of the lunar surface on Tuesday, making China the first country to achieve such a feat.

The samples from the South Pole-Aitken Basin region are being stored at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where researchers will try to unlock some of the secrets of lunar history and the solar system.

“The first lunar far-side sample of mankind has unique scientific significance,” the China National Space Administration said in a statement on Friday.

“It will further enhance mankind's understanding of the evolution of the Moon, accelerate mankind's peaceful exploration and utilisation of lunar resources and is an important asset for all mankind.”

Significance of the far side

The far side of the Moon is perpetually hidden from Earth due to tidal locking.

It has a different landscape than the side that faces Earth, with a thicker crust, fewer maria – the dark plains seen on the near side – and a more rugged terrain.

The variation in terrain suggests it has experienced different and possibly more ancient geological processes than the near side, offering clues about the Moon's past.

The Chang'e-6 lunar vehicle photographed on the far side of the Moon. AFP

Previous missions, including by Nasa and the former Soviet Union, have focused mostly on the near side.

China’s Chang’e-4 mission landed on the far side in 2018 but it was not part of a return-sample mission.

The soil samples returned by the Chang’e-6 mission are particularly valuable because they come from an area that has remained largely unexplored and undisturbed, offering pristine material for analysis.

Potential discoveries from the soil samples

The South Pole-Aitken Basin region holds the potential to reveal critical information about the Moon's composition, geological history and even broader cosmic events.

The findings can also help space agencies in setting up human bases on the Moon, as they look to tap into the resources found on the lunar surface.

The samples can give insights into the composition of the lunar crust on the far side, including unique minerals and chemical elements that differ from those found on the near side.

This can help scientists build a more comprehensive picture of the Moon's formation and the geological processes that have shaped its surface over billions of years.

They can also potentially unlock secrets on the history of lunar volcanism if there is evidence of volcanic rocks or ancient volcanic activity within the samples.

The findings would help them learn more on the Moon's thermal evolution and explain the differences in volcanic activity between the near and far sides.

Another exciting possibility is the discovery of water within the soil samples.

Although the Moon was long thought to be dry, recent missions have detected traces of water on its surface.

Finding water in the far-side samples could impact future lunar exploration and help in setting up human bases on the Moon.

It could also reveal where water comes from and how it is spread throughout the inner solar system.

Amazing images from the James Webb Space Telescope: in pictures

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Complex organic molecules similar to smoke or smog in a galaxy more than 12 billion light-years from Earth. Photo: Nasa

A delicate image of dust structures and bright star clusters taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. Photo: Nasa

Saturn has seven rings with several gaps and divisions between them, as well as 53 known moons. Photo: Nasa

Star cluster NGC 346, spiral galaxies NGC 1672 and Messier 74, and the Pillars of Creation, towering tendrils of cosmic dust and gas at the heart of the Eagle Nebula. Photo: Nasa

An infrared image of Neptune, the only planet in our solar system not visible to the naked eye. Photo: Nasa

Every eight years, the two stars in this image are brought together by their orbits – creating colliding streams of gas that, under the right conditions, form a new ring of dust. Photo: Nasa

A part of the Orion Nebula known as the Orion Bar. Photo: Nasa

A crowded field of galaxies, along with stars crowned with the James Webb Space Telescope's signature six-pointed diffraction spikes. Photo: Nasa

The NGC 3256 spiral galaxy was formed after a collision of two massive galaxies about 500 million years ago. Photo: Nasa

The Wolf-Rayet 124 star, featured in an image combining near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths of light. Photo: Nasa

An hourglass-shaped cloud of dust and gas is illuminated by light from a protostar. Photo: Nasa

Two views of the Southern Ring Nebula, which show the planetary nebula as a misshapen oval. Photo: Nasa

A composite image of the Cartwheel Galaxy captured by the James Webb Space Telescope in August 2022. AFP

A cluster of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud, near the Milky Way. Photo: JWST

A colour composite image of the Messier 74 galaxy. Photo: JWST

The gravity of galaxy cluster MACS0647 bends and magnifies light from the more distant MACS0647-JD. Photo: Nasa

The 'Pillars of Creation' — clouds of hydrogen gas and dust 6,500 light years from Earth — captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, left, and James Webb Space Telescope. AP

Dust rings resembling a fingerprint created by a rare type of star and its companion. PA

Images of the asteroid Dimorphos hours after Nasa crashed a spacecraft into it in September 2022. EPA

Neptune and seven of its 14 known moons. AFP

Thousands of young stars in a stellar nursery called the Tarantula Nebula. Photo: Nasa

A image of an exoplanet — a gas giant with no rocky surface. Photo: Nasa, ESA and CSA

Glass-z13, the oldest galaxy to be detected, was formed about 300 million years after the Big Bang. Photo: JWST

Jupiter and its moon Europa. Photo: Nasa

Jupiter and its moons Europa, Thebe and Metis. Photo: Nasa

Another image of Jupiter and some of its 79 moons. Photo: Nasa

An image of galaxy cluster Smacs 0723 taken by the James Webb telescope. Photo: Nasa

Stephan’s Quintet is an area in space that has five galaxies. Photo: JWST

The 'Cosmic Cliffs' of the Carina Nebula. Photo: JWST

An anniversary image shows the birth of a star in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, the closest star-forming region to Earth. Photo: Nasa