The first samples from the uncharted far side of the Moon have ever been brought back to Earth by China's lunar mission.
The Chang'e-6 made its risky, almost two-month journey come to an end on Tuesday when it touched down in the Inner Mongolian desert.
The Chang'e 6 samples are highly anticipated by scientists because they may provide important insights into the formation of planets.
The only nation to have set foot on the moon's far side is China, who accomplished this feat in 2019.
Due of its distance from Earth and its rugged landscape, which includes many large craters and few flat areas, the far side is technically impossible to access.
This less-traveled side has scientists curious because they think there may be ice remnants there that may be extracted to produce hydrogen, oxygen, and water.
With more of its expeditions to the moon under its belt, China is proud of the Chang'e-6 mission, which has drawn attention from the US, its opponent.
Shortly after the Chang'e 6 capsule landed in the Inner Mongolian desert, state TV showed officials hoisting the Chinese flag with gusto.
China's President Xi Jinping has made a call to extend congratulations to the Chang'e 6 mission's command center personnel. Mr. Xi expressed his desire that deep space exploration can continue.
Early in May, the Chang'e 6 rocketed out of a space center, and a few weeks later, it made a successful landing on a crater near the Moon's south pole. It spent 53 days on its mission.
As per the official broadcaster CCTV, samples would be collected and the probe sent to Beijing.
China is sending its second expedition to the far side of the moon, and its sixth overall. The Chinese moon goddess Chang'e is the inspiration for the naming of the probe.
The probe took several pictures of the surface, planted a Chinese flag, and dug up dirt and rocks using a drill and a robotic arm.
Over the last ten years, Beijing has heavily invested in its space program in an attempt to overtake both the US and Russia.
By 2030, it hopes to deploy a crewed expedition to the Moon and ultimately establish a base on the south pole of the moon.
The United States also intends to use the Artemis 3 mission to return humans to the Moon by 2026.
According to analysts, the next space race will not just be about landing humans on the moon, but also about who can establish a foothold and dominate lunar resources.
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