A Chinese mission has successfully landed on the back side of the moon

The sampler will use two methods: a drill to collect samples below the surface and a robotic arm to grab surface samples. The vehicle is then set to make an unprecedented launch from the back side of the moon to Earth

Scientists believe the far, or ‘dark’ side of the Moon – sometimes called that because it is invisible from Earth, not because it is never exposed to the Sun’s rays – is of great scientific interest. Its craters are less covered by ancient lava flows than the near side, which could provide more precise clues about the Moon’s origins.

China plans to launch two more Chang’e series missions in preparation for sending humans to the Moon by 2030.