China has become the first country on Earth to gather samples from the far side of the Moon.
China has gathered samples from the Moon's far side
A re-entry capsule landed in rural Inner Mongolia on Tuesday (25.06.24) with samples of rock and soil from the little-explored area of the lunar surface in what is a significant achievement for Beijing's space programme.
The samples could reveal information about longstanding mysteries on the early history of the Moon and Earth but it is unclear if China will collaborate with international scientists on the findings.
Martin Bairstow, a professor of astrophysics and space science at the University of Leicester, said: "This is a great achievement by China.
"Recovering any samples from the moon is difficult, but doing so from the far side, where communications are particularly difficult is a step taken by no other agency. A real technological feat."