First Sample Return from the Lunar Far Side

Chang'e 6 spacecraft

South Pole–Aitken basin, Moon; return to Siziwang Banner, China

China's Chang'e 6 returned the first samples collected on the Moon's far side to Earth on 25 June 2024, landing in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia. The feat required sampling, lunar ascent and Earth return, distinct from a first soft landing.