China’s Chang’e-6 Returns With Rock Samples From Moon’s Far Side

China’s Chang’e-6 collected rock and soil samples from the far side of the Moon, has successfully lifted off from the lunar surface and begun its return journey to Earth, according to state media reports.

This achievement, announced on Tuesday, marks a historic first in space exploration and represents a significant milestone in Beijing’s long-standing space program. China aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, and this latest success demonstrates the program’s ongoing progress and ambition.

China’s Chang’e-6 mission achieved a groundbreaking milestone by landing on the Moon’s far side on Sunday. This CNSA mission, the first to collect samples from this uncharted terrain, aims to enhance our understanding of lunar geology.

Launched on May 3, Chang’e-6 successfully completed Earth-Moon transfer, lunar orbit insertion, and powered descent phases. On May 30, the lander-ascender module separated from the orbiter-returner module and used advanced navigation systems to land smoothly in the Apollo Basin within the SPA Basin.

The probe will gather subsurface and surface samples within two days using a drill and a robotic arm, supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite.