Chang'e 6 Returns Far Side Lunar Samples to Earth

On June 25, 2024, the return capsule of China National Space Administration's Chang'e 6 mission landed at Siziwang Banner in Inner Mongolia, carrying approximately 1.9 kilograms of lunar regolith — the first physical samples ever returned from the far side of the Moon. The lander had touched down in the Apollo Basin within the South Pole-Aitken Basin on June 1 and collected material over two days using drill and scoop. A relay satellite (Queqiao-2) maintained communications during far-side operations. The samples include material excavated by ancient impacts that originated deep in the lunar mantle.