China has launched a probe to collect samples from the far side of the moon, in what is described as the first of its kind in the world.
An unmanned rocket carrying the Chang’e-6 probe lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center at approximately 17:27 local time (10:27 GMT).
The 53-day mission aims to bring about two kilograms of lunar samples to Earth for analysis.
It will attempt to relaunch from the side of the moon facing Earth.
This is described as the dark side of the Moon because it cannot be seen from Earth, not because it does not receive sunlight.
It has a thicker, older crust with more craters, which is less covered by older lava flows on the near side.
Scientists hope that this will facilitate the collection of materials that can shed light on how the Moon was formed.
“Chang’e-6 will collect samples from the far side of the Moon for the first time,” Ji Ping, deputy director of the China Lunar Exploration and Aerospace Engineering Center, told reporters before the launch.
The probe is named after the moon goddess and one of the most popular characters in Chinese mythology.
It is expected to make a soft landing in the Antarctica-Itkin Basin, a vast depression 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) wide and up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) deep.
The China National Space Administration said the vehicle then aims to collect lunar soil and rocks and conduct experiments using a drill and a mechanical arm.
It added that it will use a satellite called Queqiao 2 to communicate with Earth.
The launch represents the first of three unmanned missions to the moon planned by China this decade.
Chang’e-7 will search the Moon’s south pole for water, and Chang’e-8 will try to determine the technical feasibility of building a planned base, known as the International Lunar Research Station.
Friday’s launch marks the latest stage in China’s space exploration program that is competing with the United States.
Five years ago, China became the first country to land a rover on the far side of the moon.
By 2030, it aims to send its first astronauts to the moon, and send probes to collect samples from Mars and Jupiter.
