China’s Chang’e-6 lunar module has returned to Earth, successfully completing its historic mission of collecting the first ever samples from the far side of the Moon – making it the first country to do so.

The Chang’e-6 probe’s re-entry capsule parachuted into a landing zone in a rural region of Inner Mongolia, touching down just after 2pm local time on 25 June 2024.

Soon after the capsule landed, Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), announced the successful completion of the Chang’e-6 lunar mission.

According to CNN, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the mission’s completion was a “landmark achievement” in China’s quest to become a space and scientific powerhouse.

The US, China and the former Soviet Union have gathered samples from the near side of the Moon, but China is the first to bring material back from the far side.

This video from The Guardian shows the Chang’e-6 lunar module touching down via parachute to a round of applause in the mission control...