KnowraChang'e 4Chang'e 4Chang'e 4 is a Chinese lunar mission that made the first soft landing on the Moon's far side in January 2019.BriefConnectQueqiao relay satellite: A Chinese communications satellite that relays signals between Earth and spacecraft on the Moon's far side. It provided the communications link needed to control Chang'e 4 beyond direct line of sight from Earth.Chang'e 3: A Chinese lunar mission that landed a spacecraft and rover on the Moon in 2013. It established China's robotic landing experience before the more difficult far-side mission.South Pole–Aitken basin: A vast impact basin on the Moon's far side, among the largest and oldest known lunar impact structures. Chang'e 4 landed within this basin, where exposed deep materials can inform studies of lunar origins.Lunar sample-return mission: A space mission that collects material from the Moon and returns it to Earth for analysis. Chang'e 4's remote observations complement the laboratory studies enabled by returned lunar samples.Von Kármán crater: A large impact crater in the Moon's southern hemisphere, within the South Pole–Aitken basin. Chang'e 4's lander touched down on this crater's floor.Chang'e 5-T1: A Chinese lunar test mission launched in 2014 to demonstrate technologies for a later sample-return mission. Its spacecraft tested systems that advanced China's lunar exploration program ahead of Chang'e 4.Lunar impact cratering: The formation and modification of lunar surface features by collisions with asteroids and comets. Yutu-2's observations of rocks and terrain help reconstruct the basin's impact history.Chang'e 6: A Chinese lunar mission that returned the first samples from the Moon's far side to Earth in 2024. It built on Chang'e 4's far-side landing and relay infrastructure to bring back samples.Yutu-2: A Chinese lunar rover deployed by Chang'e 4 to explore the Moon's far side. The rover extended the mission's investigations beyond the stationary lander.China National Space Administration: The Chinese government agency responsible for the country's civil space program. It led the national program that developed and operated Chang'e 4.Show all 21Linked from 7 pagesChinese space programBroader topic: Its far-side landing showcased autonomous exploration and lunar science.Lunar roverRelated: Its Yutu-2 rover explored terrain inaccessible to direct Earth-based radio communication.Luna 3Compared with: It extended far-side exploration from Luna 3's remote imaging to surface operations.Far side of the MoonBroader topic: Its landing demonstrated direct exploration of the hemisphere beyond Earth's line of sight.History of spaceflightBroader topic: It exemplifies the expanding set of nations conducting complex planetary missions.Show all 7