China Collects First Ever Samples From Far Side Of The Moon

It was said the samples appear to be "thicker and stickier" than ones collected from the moon's near side.

China is now in possession of the first samples ever collected from the far side of the moon.

The country’s Chang’e 6 robotic lunar lander returned last week and brought back nearly 4.3 pounds from the side of the moon that permanently faces away from Earth.

Ge Ping, a senior space official overseeing China’s lunar program, said the samples appear to be “thicker and stickier” than ones collected from the moon’s near side. They also contain some “lumps.”

China says it will share the samples with scientists around the world. However, U.S. access could be denied due to a 2011 law that prohibits space coordination between NASA and China without special authorization.

China not only brought back the first samples collected from the far side in human history, it was also the first in the world to land on the moon’s dark side with it’s Chang’e 4 rover mission in 2019.