The far side of the moon looks very different from the near side, and with the Chang'e 6 mission, scientists are hoping to learn why.

December 7, 1972 was the launch of the final mission in NASA's Apollo moon program. Fifty years later, NASA finally seems poised to return people to the lunar surface.

The close approach of 81 miles occurred as the crew capsule and its three wired-up dummies were on the far side of the moon. Astronauts will take Orion for a ride around the moon as early as 2024.