China becomes 1st country to bring soil samples from far side of the moon

Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated the scientists and the team behind the success of Chang’e 6.

China became the first country on Tuesday to successfully bring rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon as its Chang’e 6 probe returned on Earth. The probe landed in northern China on Tuesday afternoon in the Inner Mongolian region.

“I now declare that the Chang’e 6 Lunar Exploration Mission achieved complete success,” Zhang Kejian, Director of the China National Space Administration said in a televised news conference after the landing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated the scientists and the team behind the success of Chang’e 6. He hailed the success and said that it was a “landmark achievement in our country’s efforts at becoming a space and technological power.”

Chinese scientists hope that the samples will include 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock and other material which will help answer questions about geographic differences on the moon’s two sides.