Chinese spacecraft leaves Moon’s surface carrying rocks to bring home

China has earmarked a recent Moon mission as a success after a lunar spacecraft landed and left carrying rock and soil samples.

Journeys to the moon’s far side are notoriously difficult, due to the celestial being’s rugged terrain and lack of flat areas.

As the Moon side permanently faces away from the Earth, teams on the ground usually have to rely on satellites to maintain communications with their probes.

CNSA/Xinhua/AP

However, last Sunday (June 2), a Chinese spacecraft touched down and unfurled the country’s flag to mark the triumphant expedition.

As per the China National Space Administration, the Chang’e-6 probe’s landing site was the South Pole-Aitken Basin - a 2,500-kilometre (1,500-mile) crater, thought to have been created over four billion years ago.

Scientists believe the crater is the oldest on the Moon and could hold significant information regarding the Earth’s only natural satellite.

After the Chang’e-6 probe - launched last month - touched down on the far side, it drilled into the celestial body’s surface.

Using a robotic arm, the spacecraft successfully collected a variety of ancient rock and soil samples.

After completing its task, the sixth probe in the Chang'e Moon exploration programme stored the samples in a container, according to the Associated Press.

CNSA/Xinhua/AP

The capsule then unfurled a small Chinese flag from its retractable arm, which was said to have been made of special composite materials.

According to an animation of the mission released by the agency, this flag was not placed on the lunar soil.

Following the spectacle, the lander rocketed off from the moon’s surface with a container safely stowed inside the probe as planned.

On Tuesday (June 4) the ascender lifted off with its engine burning for about six minutes as it entered a preset orbit around the Moon, the China National Space Administration said.

The vessel, containing the moon’s materials, is expected to be transferred to a reentry capsule before returning to Earth later this month.

It is expected to land in the deserts of China’s Inner Mongolia region around June 25.

Jin Liwang/Xinhua/AP

Following the expedition, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and wrote: “Mission accomplished!”

“An unprecedented feat in human lunar exploration history!”

The sixth moon expedition, named after the Chinese moon goddess, is the first mission since 2020 designed to bring back samples from the celestial object.

It also forms part of China’s growing space rivalry with the United States - still considered the leader in space exploration - and other territories such as Japan and India.

China also plans to become the second nation to put a person on the Moon; a mission they want to complete by 2030.

As per AP, the US is planning to land astronauts on the Moon again soon, with NASA setting the target date earlier this year to 2026.