Chang'e 4

space exploration · moon landing · China · first

First far side landing. On January 3, 2019, Chang'e 4 touched down on the far side of the Moon, becoming the very first spacecraft in history to successfully land there instead of on the side we can see from Earth.

Robotic explorer. Chang'e 4 is an uncrewed robotic spacecraft, which means it had no astronauts aboard. It was controlled by scientists on Earth who sent it commands to explore the lunar surface.

Chinese mission. Chang'e 4 is part of China's Lunar Exploration Program, showing that space exploration is not just done by one country but by many nations around the world.

Hidden side mystery. The far side of the Moon always faces away from Earth, so landing there was extremely challenging and required special technology to communicate with the spacecraft through a relay satellite.

Scientific discovery. Chang'e 4 collected rocks and data about the Moon's hidden side, helping scientists understand the Moon's geology and history in ways they never could before.