China’s Chang’e-6 lunar mission successfully returned to Earth this week, marking a historic achievement with the first-ever collection of rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon.

The return vehicle landed in Inner Mongolia at 2:07 p.m. local time on Tuesday, concluding its 53-day mission, as reported by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

In a news release, CNSA hailed the mission as a “complete success” and highlighted it as the world’s maiden retrieval of samples from the moon’s far side, ABC News has reported.

The return vehicle is slated to be transported to Beijing, where a formal ceremony will take place to open the cabin and retrieve the sample container, initiating the beginning of detailed analysis and research.

Written by B.C. Begley