China lunar probe takes off from Moon carrying samples

China has achieved a historic feat by successfully launching a module from the far side of the Moon, carrying lunar samples to be brought back to Earth. This milestone marks the first time samples have been collected from the Moon’s far side, furthering Beijing’s ambitious space program aimed at sending a crewed mission to the lunar surface by 2030. The Chang’e-6 probe’s technically complex 53-day mission is a significant leap for China’s decades-old space exploration efforts. Photo: Reuters