China’s Chang’e-6 probe lands on far side of the moon

Spacecraft to collect samples from rarely explored area after landing heralded as enormous technical achievement'

China has landed its uncrewed Chang'e-6 lunar probe on the far side of the moon, marking an important step in the country's 53-day mission to retrieve rock and soil samples from the dark" lunar hemisphere, in what would be a world first.

The landing elevates China's space power status in a global rush to the moon, where countries including the US are hoping to exploit lunar minerals to sustain long-term astronaut missions and moon bases within the next decade.