China's Chang'e 6 mission has successfully gathered 1935.3 grams of lunar samples from the far side of the moon. The China National Space Administration held a handover ceremony in Beijing on Friday, transferring the Chang'e 6 sample container and the corresponding certificate to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
An image shows the Chang'e 6 probe after it landed on the far side of the moon on June 2, 2024. /CMG
With the safe arrival at the Lunar Sample Laboratory of the world's first samples from the moon's far side, researchers will commence the planned storage and processing of the lunar material, initiating a scientific research phase. This milestone signifies the transition of the Chang'e 6 mission from its engineering implementation phase to a new era of scientific exploration.
The Chang'e 6 return capsule is pictured after its landing in Inner Mongolia on June 25, 2024. /CFP
The Chang'e 6 lunar probe was launched on May 3 and concluded its 53-day journey with a touchdown in north China's Inner Mongolia on June 25. This marks a historic achievement as the first spacecraft to collect and return samples from the moon's mysterious far side, paving the way for scientists to make potentially groundbreaking discoveries about the moon.