China's probe returns with first samples from far side of moon

China has become the first country to gather samples from the far side of the moon and bring them back to Earth in a landmark achievement for the Beijing space programme.

- Ian Sample

A re-entry capsule containing the precious cargo parachuted into a landing zone in the rural Siziwang Banner region of Inner Mongolia yesterday after being released into Earth's orbit by the uncrewed Chang'e-6 probe.

The return of the lunar material wraps up a highly successful mission for the China National Space Administration amid a wave of interest in which space agencies and private companies will build instruments and bases on the moon and exploit its resources.

The Chang'e-6 mission, named after the Chinese moon goddess, blasted off from Hainan province in south China on 3 May and touched down on 2 June on the side of the moon that is never seen from Earth.

The moon shows only one face to the Earth because it is "tidally locked" and completes one full rotation in the time it takes to circle our planet.

The mission's lander spent two days collecting rock and soil from one of the oldest and largest craters on the moon, the 1,600-mile- (2,500km) wide South Pole-Aitken (Spa) basin, using a robotic arm and drill. Its ascent module then lifted off from the moon's surface and rendezvoused with the orbiter before embarking on its journey home.