China lunar probe blasts off on ambitious mission to collect samples from far side of the moon

A Long March-5 rocket, carrying the Chang'e-6 spacecraft, blasts off from its launchpad at the Wenchang space launch site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province yesterday. Photo: Guo Cheng/Xinhua via AP

Christopher Bodeen

China yesterday launched a lunar probe to land on the far side of the moon and return with samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.

It is the latest advance in China’s increasingly sophisticated space exploration programme, which is now competing with the US, still the leader in space.