Chang'e 4 far-side landing
Chang'e 4 · 2019 CE · The Moon
Land on the far side of the Moon.
Historical context
Because the far side never faces Earth, a Chinese relay satellite parked beyond the Moon so a lander could report home. It was the first mission ever to touch the far side.
The voyage, step by step
A bridge of magpies
2019 CE
A relay satellite parked beyond the Moon waits to pass signals between Earth and a hemisphere that faces away.
Behind the Moon
3 January 2019
On 3 January 2019 the lander drops out of a low orbit with no one able to watch it directly.
Into the oldest scar
2019 CE
The target lies inside the largest and oldest impact basin known on the Moon, a hole 2,500 kilometres wide.
First landing on the far side
2019 CE
At 02:26 UTC it settles on the floor of Von Kármán crater, the first craft ever to land intact on the far side.
Yutu-2 rolls off
2019 CE
Twelve hours later a small six-wheeled rover drives down the ramp and leaves the first tracks on the far side.
A seed that sprouted
2019 CE
Inside a sealed canister a cotton seed puts out a shoot, the first plant ever to grow on another world.
Outcome
First soft landing on the far side.
Chang'e 4
Chinese mission that made the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon.
Sources
Continue exploring
- Chandrayaan-3 landingChandrayaan-3 · 2023 CE
- Apollo 17 landingApollo 17 · 1972 CE
- Luna 16 sample returnLuna 16 · 1970 CE
- Lunokhod 1 traverseLunokhod 1 · 1970 CE – 1971 CE