In late June, China’s space program brought back the first rock and soil samples from the mysterious far side of the moon. It was a major triumph. Scientists worldwide are eager to use these samples to learn more about the origin of the moon and Earth.
At the same time, others are worried that China is on the way to winning a new space race for the first permanent base on the moon. China’s mission makes it clear that the country sees the moon as a strategic asset, they say, rather than a site for purely scientific exploration.
So far, China’s lunar ambitions are yielding valuable data that’s benefiting the international scientific community and the U.S. space program, which has plans to land the first astronauts on this unexplored part of the moon. The more we earthlings know about this region, the better, so cautious optimism is in order. China’s early success could spur U.S. leaders to put more resources into lunar exploration.