China’s Chang’e-6 spacecraft has landed on the unexplored far-side of the Moon and then re-launched from the lunar surface carrying precious soil samples. The probe touched down nearly one month after launching from Earth in one of China’s most ambitious lunar missions to date. The main aim of Chang’e-6 is to collect the first samples from the lunar far side and deliver them safely to Earth, potentially bringing back new insights into our nearest neighbour, our own planet, and the early history of the Solar System. Should the US be worried about Chinese space missions ?

