---
title: "China Launches First-Ever Lander Headed to Far Side of Moon"
description: "China just launched a rocket with a lunar rover on board that will hopefully get the first-ever close-up look at the dark side of the Moon."
date: "2018-12-07"
modified: "2018-12-07"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-launches-first-lander-far-side-of-moon"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Moon"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "chang'e 4"
  - "china"
  - "lunar lander"
  - "the digest"
  - "the moon"
---

# China Launches First-Ever Lander Headed to Far Side of Moon

![China just successfully launched a rocket with a lunar rover on board that will hopefully get the first-ever close-up look at the dark side of the Moon.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/china-launches-first-lander-far-side-of-moon.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: CNSA\</em\>*

## Visiting the Dark Side of the Moon

It's official. At 2:23 am in southern China, a rocket carrying unique payload successfully launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

On board is a lander which, if all goes smoothly, will soon make history by touching down on the far side of the Moon.

https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1071111011380412416

## The Chang'e 4

Futurism has [previously reported](<https://futurism.com/china-change-4-far-side-of-the-moon-probe-rover>) on the Chang'e 4 lunar lander, which is scheduled to land near the Moon's southern pole in a giant plain called the Von Kármán crater. It's mission will be to explore the composition of the lunar surface.

Scientists will study the data it collects in order to see how it compares to samples from the near side of the Moon.

It's also carrying a 3 kg (6.6 lb) container of seeds and silkworm larvae to study whether they can grow on the surface of the Moon — an experiment that could have long-term implications for a lunar colony.

## The Back of the Moon

Since the Moon spins around the same center of rotation as Earth, it's always facing away from us.

Space programs have taken pictures of the so-called dark side of the Moon before, but we've never had a chance to get an up-close look. The far side is a far more rugged and mountainous surface than the well-studied near side of the Moon.

Good luck, Chang'e 4!

**READ MORE:** [China’s Chang’e-4 Lander Launches on Mission to the Moon](<https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/07/science/china-moon-change-4.html>)

***More on the Chang'e 4: [China to Land First-Ever Rover on Dark Side of the Moon](<https://futurism.com/china-change-4-far-side-of-the-moon-probe-rover>)***

## 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>)