Lunar samples serve as a critical link between orbital remote sensing and ground-truth measurements. Previous sample-return missions—Apollo, Luna, and Chang’e-5—have collectively brought back approximately 383 kilograms of lunar soil and rock from the moon’s near side, advancing the understanding of lunar geological evolution and regolith properties. However, the absence of samples from the far side has limited investigations into its unique composition and geologic history.
Chang’e-6’s far-side lunar samples show strongly cohesive behavior
