Chinese spacecraft departs moon with 1st samples of lunar’s far side

TOKYO, China said its unmanned spacecraft lifted off from lunar surface on Tuesday, carrying the world's first lunar samples from the far side of the moon, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.The ascender of Chang'e-6 probe has entered a preset orbit around the moon, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.The Chang'e-6 probe, comprising an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a returner was launched on May third.The lander-ascender combination, separated from the orbiter-returner combination on May 30, touched down at the designated landing area in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on June second.The spacecraft finished its intelligent and rapid sampling work, and the samples were stowed in a container inside the ascender of the probe as planned, the CNSA said.The mission adopted two methods of moon sampling, including using a drill to collect subsurface samples and grabbing samples on the surface with a robotic arm.Through detailed analysis of the soil structure, physical properties and ma terial composition of the Chang'e-6 samples, scientists will be able to deepen research on the formation and evolutionary history of the moon, the origin of the solar system and so on, laying an improved foundation for later exploration missions to build on, the CNSA said.Source: Kuwait News Agency