Explainer: How China explores dark side of the moon and why it matters

The Chang'e-6 probe successfully returned to Earth, landing in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia, on Tuesday, bringing back the world's first samples from the moon's far side.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) declared the mission a complete success.

Launched on May 3, Chang'e-6 is one of China's most complex space missions, consisting of an orbiter, returner, lander, and ascender.

The lander-ascender combination landed in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on June 2, supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, and collected samples.

The ascender took off from the moon on June 4, rendezvoused with the orbiter-returner combination on June 6, transferred the samples, and then landed on the moon to avoid space junk.

The orbiter-returner combination spent 13 days in lunar orbit before returning to Earth. .

New samples are expected to lead to new discoveries and enhance understanding of lunar evolution.

The mission also reflects China's long-standing cultural fascination with the moon, inspired by the myth of Chang'e.

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