Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: CNSA/CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

China’s just landed specimens from the far side of the moon signals not only technological achievement and plows new territory for the country’s space exploration capacity, it is also sparking a chain-reaction in scientific, policy, and diplomatic circles within the U.S.

Wrapping up a 53-day undertaking from Earth departure on May 3 to back on terra firma, China’s Chang’e-6 return capsule stuffed with its “ground breaking” cache of lunar collectibles parachuted into a pre-selected site within Siziwang Banner in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

This prize celestial catch of the day are samples from the southern mare plain of the Apollo basin interior, in the northeast interior of the far side South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin.

Go to my new Scientific American story at:

 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-returns-first-ever-samples-from-the-moons-far-side/