China’s Chang’e-4 lunar rover scripted history on Thursday when it made the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon and sent back close-up images of the previously unexplored region, a giant leap for cosmic exploration and a major boost to the Communist nation’s quest to become a space superpower.
The successful landing formally inaugurated the world’s first expedition to the far side that never faces the Earth and is expected to fulfil scientists’ long-held aspiration to closely observe the enormous region.
Chang’e-4, named after a Chinese moon goddess and comprising a lander and a rover, landed at the preselected landing area at 177.6 degrees east longitude and 45.5 degrees south latitude at 10.26 am (Beijing time), said China National Space Administration.
The spacecraft, carrying instruments to analyse moon’s unexplored geology, will conduct biological experiments.