China Lands On ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’

SAM STEVENSON

A Chinese spacecraft has landed on the so-called “dark side of the Moon” in a world-first mission.

The successful landing has raised questions about Beijing’s desire to build a fully manned lunar base. Space probe Chang’e-4 was loaded with more than a ton of scientific equipment when it made the historic landing on Thursday morning, Chinese state media said. At 10.26am local time (2.26am GMT), the unmanned Chang’e-4 probe touched down in the South Pole-Aitken basin, state media said.

At roughly 1,600 miles across and eight miles deep, it is the largest, oldest, and deepest basin on the moon. They called the landing “a major milestone in space exploration”.

In a tweet, Chinese news agency China Global Television Network (CGTN) said: “China’s Chang’e-4 probe lands successfully on far side of the moon at 10.26am BJT Thursday, marking the first-ever soft-landing in this uncharted area.”

Previous missions have been to the Earth-facing side, but this is the first time a craft has landed on the unexplored far side. The landing comes as China jostles for prime position on the world stage. The landing signals the superstate is trying to assert its dominance in outer space as well as on earth.

The announcement came shortly after state media outlets China Daily and CGTN deleted posts on social media proclaiming the mission a success, sparking widespread confusion as to whether the probe had, in fact, had made touchdown.

But the landing was confirmed at roughly 2.20pm local time (4.15am GMT).

The Chinese probe comprises a lander and smaller six-wheeled rover that will explore the moon’s surface.

Katherine Joy, a lunar scientist at the University of Manchester, told the Guardian: “Going to the far side of the moon is a major technological feather in the cap for China.

“The Chinese lunar space programme is hugely ambitious.”

The space craft’s predecessor, Chang’e-3, managed to touch down on the near side of the moon.

Malcolm Davis, senior analyst in defence strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said: “There’s a lot of geopolitics or astropolitics about this, it’s not just a scientific mission, this is all about China’s rise as a superpower.

“There’s a lot of enthusiasm for the space program in China.

“There’s a lot of nationalism in China, they see China’s role in space as a key part of their rise.”

The landing was also touted as “an impressive accomplishment” by Nasa administrator Jim Brindestine.

He tweeted: “Congratulations to China’s Chang’e-4 team for what appears to be a successful landing on the far side of the Moon.

“This is a first for humanity and an impressive accomplishment!”

A tweet from CGTN showed the first images ever seen of the uncharted far side of the moon.

The pictures show a cavernous wasteland of space rock bulging out from beneath the space craft.

The images were accompanied by the words: “China’s Chang’e-4 probe sends back world’s first close shot of moon’s far side after historic soft landing on uncharted area.”