China Lands Probe on the ‘Dark Side’ of the Moon
Landing heats up competition with U.S. to become the first country in half a century to land astronauts on moon
China gained on the U.S. in the new space race by making the first-ever landing on the far side of the moon. What's driving China’s ambitions and should the U.S. be nervous? The WSJ explains. Photo: CHINA NATIONAL SPACE ADMINISTRAT/SHUTTERSTOCK
SHANGHAI—China successfully landed a probe on the far side of the moon, in the latest milestone for the country’s ambitious space program.
The Chang’e-4 touched down in the Von Kármán crater Thursday morning Beijing time, China’s state news agencies reported. Having landed intact, it will deploy a rover to gather samples that could provide insights into the moon’s internal composition.
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