BEIJING: A Chinese probe carrying samples from the far side of the Moon started its journey back to Earth on Tuesday (Jun 4), the country’s space agency said – a world first and a major achievement for Beijing’s space programme.
The ascender module of the Chang’e-6 probe “lifted off from lunar surface” and entered a preset orbit around the Moon, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.
It was the first craft to ever successfully take off from the Moon’s far side, with state news agency Xinhua describing the launch as “an unprecedented feat in human lunar exploration history”.
Analysis of the samples it is bringing back will allow scientists “to deepen research on the formation and evolutionary history of the Moon”, Xinhua quoted Chang’e-6 mission spokesman Ge Ping as saying.
It will also offer insights into “the origin of the solar system … laying an improved foundation for later exploration missions”, he added.
, the country's space agency said - a world first and a major achievement for Beijing's space programme. The ascender module of the Chang'e-6 probe "lifted off from lunar surface" and){kind=link}