China said a spacecraft carrying rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon lifted off from the lunar surface on Tuesday to start its journey back to Earth.

The ascender of the Chang’e-6 probe lifted off and entered a preset orbit around the moon, the China National Space Administration said.

The Chang'e-6 probe, comprising an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a returner -- like its predecessor Chang'e-5 -- was launched on May 3.

Its lander-ascender combination touched down at the designated landing area in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on June 2.

Missions to the moon’s far side are more difficult because it doesn’t face the Earth, requiring a relay satellite to maintain communications. The terrain is also more rugged, with fewer flat areas to land.

During its mission, the probe adopted two methods of moon sampling, including using a drill to collect subsurface samples and grabbing samples on the surface with a robotic arm. It automatically gathered diverse samples at different sites.

The samples collected will be transferred to a reentry capsule that is due to return to Earth in the Inner Mongolia region on June 25.

The mission is the sixth in the Chang’e moon exploration program, which is named after a Chinese moon goddess. It is the second designed to bring back samples, following the Chang’e-5, which did so from the near side in 2020. (Xinhua/AP)