Historic Lunar samples on display at International Congress

At the 75th International Astronautical Congress, China launched its successful appellation as a space science and exploration partner with lunar samples from the far side of the Moon.

The first ever samples from the moon's far side have made headlines at the 75th International Astronautical Congress where China's Chang’e 6 mission was unveiled as a significant milestone in lunar exploration. The exhibition, which closed on Friday, was the first time that these valuable lunar materials have been shown outside China since the June return.

Chang’e 6 mission collected the samples, weighing 1,935.3 grams, from the South Pole-Aitken Basin and successfully landed on June 2 from Hainan province. After passing through a lengthy series of intricate maneuvers, the mission ended on June 25 successfully bringing material from the moon back to Earth.

The samples interested heads of national space agencies and industry leaders at the congress, which had over 10,000 attendees, said CNSA, which jointly sponsored the congress with ESTRAD, a UK space company. CNSA officials made the commitment to space science and exploration international cooperation during a news conference while also saying that the agency was willing to share their far-side studies.

The MiCo Convention Center in Congress was hosting the congress, which is the most important gathering for the aerospace sector annually organized by the International Astronautical Federation. The latest event epitomizes the international focus on lunar exploration and nation’s cross-cutting partnership on space science at the earliest stages of space missions.