The ascender of China's Chang'e-6 probe lifted off from lunar surface on Tuesday morning, carrying samples collected from the moon's far side, an unprecedented feat in human lunar exploration history.
The ascender has entered a preset orbit around the moon, said the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The Chang'e-6 probe, comprising an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a returner — like its predecessor Chang'e-5 — was launched on May 3. Its lander-ascender combination touched down at the designated landing area in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on June 2.
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.
During sampling and packaging, researchers conducted simulated sampling in a ground lab, based on the detection data sent back by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, providing important support for decision-making and operations in every link.
