China’s ‘unprecedented’ space mission blasts off to the far side of the moon to collect samples

China on Friday launched a space probe to collect samples from the far side of the moon in a mission that has been billed as “unprecedented” as the global space race heats up. An unmanned rocket carrying the Chang’e-6 lunar probe took off from Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province just before 5:30 p.m. local time, kick-starting the 53-day planned mission. The expedition aims to return around 5 pounds of lunar samples to Earth for analysis. If successful, scientists hope the findings could unlock fresh information about the moon’s origins. “Collecting and returning samples from the far side of the moon is an unprecedented feat,” Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, said, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. “Scientists currently know very little about the moon’s far side. If the Chang’e-6 mission can achieve its goal, it will provide scientists with the first direct evidence to understand the environment and material composition