It was a good day for China as it became the first nation to successfully retrieve a lunar sample from the far side of the Moon. The Chang’e-6 return capsule safely landed in China earlier today following the mission’s start back on May 3. The sample itself departed the Moon’s surface on June 4.
Wang Qiong, deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission, stated:
A portion of the samples will be stored permanently, while another portion will be stored at a different location as backup in case of disasters. Then we will prepare the remaining portion, and distribute them to scientists in China and foreign countries in accordance with the lunar sample management regulations.
Congratulations to the Chinese people. Hopefully, the entire scientific community can benefit from what the lunar sample tells us.
Our Awesome Universe 