"According to the China National Space Administration, the ascender, one of the four major components of the Chang'e 6 robotic probe, started its ascent engine at 7:38 am and flew nearly 6 minutes before reaching a lunar orbit."
The mission gathered lunar samples over two days, now sealed in a container on the ascender.
"The space administration said the ascender's return to lunar orbit marked the successful completion of the first sampling and liftoff operations on the moon's far side by any country."
Chang'e 6, the first mission to return samples from the lunar far side, launched on May 3 via a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Center, reaching lunar orbit on May 8.
The 8.35-metric-ton probe comprises four components: an orbiter, a lander, an ascender, and a reentry capsule.
Following complex maneuvers, the Chang'e 6 lander touched down on the far side on Sunday, using a scoop and a drill to collect surface and subsurface material.
Meanwhile, several instruments, including a panoramic camera, a lunar mineralogical spectrometer, and a lunar soil composition analyzer, began operating on the moon. "The results of their survey will play significant roles in the measurement and study of the moon's landscapes, mineral compositions as well as shallow structures, according to the space administration."
"Moreover, three European scientific apparatus carried by the Chang'e 6 landing craft - a radon-measuring instrument from France's national space agency, a dedicated negative ion instrument developed by the Swedish Institute of Space Physics with support from the European Space Agency, and a passive laser retroreflector from Italy's National Institute for Nuclear Physics - worked on the lunar surface over the past two days, said the space administration."
After the surface collection, a Chinese national flag was displayed on the lander, marking the first national flag on the lunar far side.
A mini rover equipped with a camera was also deployed, capturing images of the lander.
"The next phase involves the ascender remaining in lunar orbit, where it will rendezvous and dock with the orbiter and reentry capsule. It will transfer the sample container to the reentry capsule before separating."
In the final stage of the 53-day mission, the orbiter and reentry capsule will leave lunar orbit and head toward Earth. The reentry capsule will then perform complex maneuvers to land at the Siziwang Banner Landing Site in Inner Mongolia.
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