Chang'e 6 lifts off with samples collected from lunar far side

In addition, a mini rover carrying a special camera was released from the lander and moved around the lander to take its pictures, according to the administration.

In the next stage, the ascender is set to remain in the lunar orbit for a certain period of time and then rendezvous and dock with the combination of orbiter and reentry capsule. It will transfer the sample container to the reentry capsule before departing.

In the final part of the 53-day mission, the combination will fly away from the lunar orbit and return to the Earth's orbit, where the pair will break up and the reentry capsule will conduct a host of complicated maneuvers to return to the Siziwang Banner Landing Site in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, according to the mission plan.