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China’s Chang’e-6 probe blasts off from the moon with the first-ever ‘far side’ samples

  • China’s space authority says the ascent vehicle left the lunar surface at 7.38am with around 2kg of specimens
  • This is the first time that a spacecraft has taken off from the moon’s perpetually hidden other side

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An image of the lander and ascender on the moon’s surface taken by a mobile camera carried by Chang’e 6. Photo: CNSA
Ling Xinin Ohio
China’s Chang’e-6 ascent vehicle lifted off from the lunar surface with the first rock samples from the far side of the moon, embarking on a three-week-long journey home.
The vehicle, with its cargo of up to 2kg (4.4lbs) of specimens from the moon’s oldest impact basin, lifted off from the lunar surface early on Tuesday morning, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

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China’s Chang’e-6 lander touches down on far side of the moon to bring rock samples back to Earth

China’s Chang’e-6 lander touches down on far side of the moon to bring rock samples back to Earth

“At 7.38am Beijing time, the Chang’e-6 ascender blasted off from the moon’s far side with lunar samples in it. Its 3,000-newton-thrust engine fired for about six minutes, successfully delivering the ascender into designated lunar orbit,” the CNSA said.

“This is the first time in human history for a spacecraft to take off from the far side of the moon.”

The space authority said the ascender would rendezvous and dock with the orbiter in lunar orbit, before transferring its cargo to a device known as the return capsule.

The orbiter-return capsule combination will circle the moon and wait for the best timing to fly back to Earth, where it will touch down at the Siziwang Banner landing site in northern China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

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