China’s unmanned lunar probe Chang’e-6 on June 4th became the first in the world to collect samples from the far side of the moon and successfully took off, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. It is expected to return to Earth.

After collecting the samples, Chang’e-6’s ascent vehicle took off from the lunar surface and entered lunar orbit as scheduled, according to a statement from the China National Space Administration (CNSA) quoted by Xinhua.

Xinhua News Agency hailed it as “an unprecedented achievement in the history of human lunar exploration,” and reported that after the successful sample collection, “the Chinese flag was hoisted on the lander for the first time on the far side of the moon.”

Chang’e 6’s 53-day mission will use a drill and robotic arm to collect about 2 kilograms of rock and other samples from the surface and underground of the far side of the moon and bring them back to Earth.

The rover landed on the far side of the moon on the 2nd in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest impact craters known in the solar system, according to the CNSA.

Samples from the far side of the moon are expected to provide clues to the origins of the moon’s formation. (c)AFP