Photo: CNSA

Uncrewed Chang’e-6 lander is carrying rock and soil samples in ‘very important achievement’ after lunar liftoff

China’s uncrewed Chang’e-6 probe is on its way back to Earth carrying the first samples from the far side of the moon, in a major achievement for Beijing’s space programme.

The probe landed on the lunar surface on Sunday, within one of the oldest craters on the moon – the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin – then spent two days gathering rock and soil samples using its drill and robotic arm.

After successfully gathering its samples, “a Chinese national flag carried by the lander was unfurled for the first time on the far side of the moon”, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.

CNSA has confirmed the probe is on its return journey, with its ascender module having “lifted off from lunar surface” and entered a preset orbit around the moon...

The Guardian: China’s lunar probe on way back to Earth from far side of the moon