"Going to the far side of the Moon will unleash a treasure chest of information"

CGTN Europe

James Head, Professor of Geological Sciences at Brown University who has trained astronaut crews in geology and surface exploration as well as participated in the selection of landing sites for the Apollo moon program, speaks to CGTN Europe about China's Chang'e-6 mission.

Transcript

00:00 Well, let's get some expert analysis on this with Professor James Head,

00:03 Professor of Geological Sciences at Brown University,

00:07 who has trained astronauts in geology and surface exploration.

00:10 He also helped to select landing sites for the Apollo moon program.

00:14 Welcome back, Professor Head, to the program.

00:16 It's always good to have you with us.

00:18 First of all, I want to get your assessment on just how significant this is,

00:21 how significant China is for the global lunar exploration

00:26 and for China's space program.

00:28 Well, I think it's incredibly important for all of us.

00:31 International scientists are incredibly interested and excited about the launch.

00:36 And it was just such a pleasure to watch the successful steps in the launch

00:40 and getting the spacecraft on the way to the moon.

00:43 The idea that it would be going to the far side is going to

00:46 leash a real treasure chest of information about the moon,

00:52 stuff we've been trying to figure out for decades.

00:55 So it's critically important for international lunar exploration.

00:58 And science and understanding.

01:00 And it's also a major, major step for China in their China program.

01:05 And, you know, we've seen success after success.

01:08 And it's just incredible to see this well on the way.

01:11 And fingers crossed for a successful landing and sample return.

01:14 We're all excited about getting those samples back.

01:16 Yeah, it's incredibly exciting, isn't it?

01:19 And you mentioned the successful steps that we're taking.

01:22 Can you walk us through the process that took place earlier today?

01:26 Well, you know, it's everybody looks at these things and thinks, oh, yeah,

01:30 you go to the moon, you come back, blah, blah, blah.

01:33 You know, it's not like brewing a cup of tea here.

01:35 You know, it's really, really complicated.

01:38 Each step of the way is is just if you took a look at all the details

01:43 of the features on the sides of the spacecraft in the engines, etc.

01:46 All of those have to work simultaneously and perfectly.

01:49 And so each step of the way is a major challenge.

01:53 And there's there's hundreds of different steps that have to be taken on a way.

01:56 And so far, everything's successful.

01:59 You can imagine just getting off the ground and then getting the rocket

02:04 separated and accelerating to get out of Earth's gravity field

02:07 and then essentially on the way to the moon

02:10 and then unfurling two different sets of solar panels.

02:15 That's not trivial either.

02:16 And so it's accomplished all those this morning, earlier this morning.

02:19 And it's on its way.

02:20 And we're so excited for lunar orbit insertion and then the descent

02:24 and landing to collect the samples.

02:26 So we're really excited.

02:28 And everything's gone perfectly so far.

02:31 And when it does land and start carrying out these experiment operations,

02:35 what do you think it might find out?

02:37 Well, there's so many different mysteries about the differences

02:41 between the near side of the far side.

02:43 And if you think about trying to understand our own planet Earth,

02:45 it's sort of like we're trying to figure out what the history of the Earth is

02:49 with samples just from the United States, with, for example,

02:53 no samples from Asia.

02:54 And, you know, it just it's just an incomplete collection of information.

02:59 And so now we're going to explore the other half of the moon.

03:02 And this will be the first time we actually have samples back.

03:05 And, you know, we're going to learn about the ages, the ages of the big basins.

03:09 We're going to learn about the early history, how it affected Earth,

03:12 the volcanic activity and all these other things that are real mysteries

03:16 and understanding our our sister solar system body.

03:20 I mean, it's thought that the moon actually originated from a big impact

03:25 and are collecting ejecta and forming the moon.

03:27 So we're really kind of like we've been together for for since our birth,

03:32 basically. And how does that work?

03:34 What does that tell us about the early history of the Earth,

03:36 which has gone because of erosion and plate tectonics and recycling?

03:40 So it's just so exciting.

03:41 I you know, it's just we're really, really anticipating this treasure chest.

03:46 Of of samples.

03:48 Well, when this treasure chest gets open, please do come back

03:50 and let us know your thoughts.

03:52 Always great to have your expertise.

03:54 Professor James Head from Brown University. Thanks so much.

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