China has become the first nation to collect material from the far side of the moon and return it to Earth.
"The Chang'e-6 lunar exploration mission has been a complete success," Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration , said from the control room amid applause and celebrations. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Not everything was known about the mission before its launch. China's space agency had announced its objectives, landing zone and scientific payloads — including undisclosed cargo from Italy, France, Sweden, and Pakistan — but the presence of a rover was unknown until it was spotted in an image released by the China Academy of Space Technology.
This means that the samples may contain answers to mysteries relating to these asteroid impacts, as well as the early state of the young Earth; because the moon lacks plate tectonics, it serves as a frozen record of the early development of the Earth-moon system.