Chinese spacecraft to become first to land on far side of moon

Chang'e 4 will explore giant crater, possibly offering more clues as to moon's formation

A Chinese spacecraft could shortly become the first ever to land on the "far side" of the moon, in a milestone for human space exploration. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) is aiming to land the craft in the unexplored South Pole-Aitken basin, the largest, oldest, deepest, crater on the moon's surface.

Early reports of a successful landing by the robotic probe, Chang'e 4, ended in confusion after state-run media China Daily and CGTN deleted tweets celebrating a successful mission. China Daily's tweet said: '"China's Chang'e 4 landed on the moon's far side, inaugurating a new chapter in mankind's lunar exploration history."