Von Kármán crater

lunar crater

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 21, 2026

Quick Summary

The Von Kármán crater is a lunar impact crater located on the far side of the Moon. It is a significant feature, measuring 180 kilometers (112 miles) in diameter and 3.4 kilometers (2.1 miles) deep. This crater is notable for being the landing site of China's Chang'e 4 mission, the first spacecraft to successfully land on the far side of the Moon. The crater's formation is attributed to an impact event, which is a common geological process shaping the lunar surface. Such impacts create craters with varying features, including terraced walls and central peaks, depending on the size and energy of the impactor.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Chang’e
It landed in the Von Kármán crater in the South Pole–Aitken basin. Because Chang’e 4 was on the far side, it communicated with Earth through the Queqiao relay satellite, which had been launched in May 2018 and placed into orbit around L2.
Read More
It landed in the Von Kármán crater in the South Pole–Aitken basin. Because Chang’e 4 was on the far side, it communicated with Earth through the Queqiao relay satellite, which had been launched in May 2018 and placed into orbit around L2.
Read More