EyesOnSci | China launches Chang'e-6 to retrieve samples from moon's far side

↑ Animation video provided by China National Space Administration

WENCHANG, Hainan, May 3 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday launched the Chang'e-6 spacecraft to collect and return samples from the moon's mysterious far side -- the first endeavor of its kind in the history of human lunar exploration.

A Long March-5 rocket, carrying the Chang'e-6 spacecraft, blasted off from its launchpad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site on the coast of China's southern island province of Hainan at 5:27 p.m. (Beijing Time).

Approximately 37 minutes after liftoff, the Chang'e-6 spacecraft separated from the rocket and entered its planned Earth-Moon transfer orbit, which had a perigee altitude of 200 kilometers and an apogee altitude of about 380,000 kilometers, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The launch of the Chang'e-6 spacecraft was a complete success, the CNSA announced.