---
title: "China Just Landed a Rover on the Far Side of the Moon"
description: "In a world's first, Chinese lunar probe Chang'e-4 just touched down on the far side of the moon -- the more mysterious, and lesser known side."
date: "2019-01-03"
modified: "2019-01-03"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/china-landed-probe-change4-far-side-moon"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Moon"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "chang'e 4"
  - "china"
  - "lunar rover"
  - "moon"
---

# China Just Landed a Rover on the Far Side of the Moon

![In a world's first, Chinese lunar probe Chang'e-4 just touched down on the far side of the moon -- the more mysterious, and lesser known side.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/change4-lander-china-far-side-moon.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: CSNA\</em\>*

## A World's First

In a world's first, Chinese lunar probe Chang'e-4 just touched down on the far side of the Moon, the side that always faces away from the Earth. The probe landed near the lunar South Pole in the Aitken basin.

After touchdown, Chang'e-4 took a picture and sent it back to Earth via a relay satellite that was [launched in June 2018](<https://spacenews.com/change-4-relay-satellite-enters-halo-orbit-around-earth-moon-l2-microsatellite-in-lunar-orbit/>) — signalling a huge win for China's space exploration ambitions.

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/105047055_051422158-1.jpg>)
*Image Credit: CNSA*

## Rugged Surroundings

The far side of the moon is pockmarked by large craters and rugged, mountainous terrain, making the landing far more difficult than on the near side.

Chang'e-4 [launched](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-launches-first-lander-far-side-of-moon>) on December 7 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, and [entered lunar orbit](<https://futurism.com/moon-lander-china-lunar-orbit>) five days later.

The probe will make its way to the Von Kármán crater — an impact crater 1,550 miles (2,500 km) across — inside the Aitken basin.

## Mission Goals

Chang'e-4 will collect rock samples and compare them to samples taken from the other side of the Moon. It's also carrying a tiny biosphere containing Earthly species ranging from potato to the fruit fly, and will report on its progress.

And most fundamentally, it shows that China's space program is committed to — and capable of — exploring entirely new territories in the Solar System.

**READ MORE:** [Far side of the moon: China's Chang'e 4 probe makes historic touchdown](<https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jan/03/china-probe-change-4-land-far-side-moon-basin-crater>) \[*The Guardian*\]

***More on Chang'e-4: [China’s Moon Lander Just Entered Lunar Orbit](<https://futurism.com/moon-lander-china-lunar-orbit>)***

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)