Italian scientists say their role in China's Chang'e-6 milestone mission to the moon is the culmination of a decade of hard work and cooperation.
The probe has lifted off from the far side of the moon, starting its journey back towards Earth, China's national space agency announced on Tuesday.
Its successful lunar departure means China is closer to becoming the first country to return samples from the moon's far side, which permanently faces away from Earth.
The probe, which departed the moon at 7:38 am local time (2338 GMT) successfully completed its sample collection from June 2-3.
This undated handout photo shows craters on the surface of the moon captured by China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe. /China National Space Administration
A 'Made in Italy' laser retroflector helped position the lander for the mission and Simone Dell'Agnello said a decade's worth of collaboration between China and Italy had prefaced this.
According to Dell'Agnello, executive technologist at Italy's National Institute for Nuclear Physics: "It's very exciting also because we have now the culmination of almost 10 years of collaboration with China, so it's a long process and it is finally time for us to see an Italian/European retroreflector on the moon."
A retroreflector is essentially a small array of mirrors used to reflect laser beams, which measure distance. They accurately position satellites, landers, and rovers within one millimeter.
Onboard the Chang'e-6 mission will be INRRI - the awkwardly-named INstrument for Landing-Roving laser Retroreflector Investigations.
Luciana Filomena is a Senior Postdoc at the National Institute for Nuclear Physics, and part of the team that carries out crucial testing to ensure the reflectors are space qualified.
She told CGTN: "The size of the various micro reflectors depends on their positioning. The bigger the distance between the satellite and the laser station, the bigger the reflector must be."
The ascender and lander captured by China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe after it landed on the moon. /China National Space Administration
Retroreflectors have been used since the Apollo era, but those created in the 60s were three times bigger and ten times heavier and can only be measured directly from earth.
"Instead, the miniature instruments we have developed since 2015 and we are delivering for these Chinese lunar missions, they need to be measured, observed, with lasers orbiting the moon." explained Dell'Agnello.
This phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program involves the collection of samples that are sent back to earth. During the fifth mission in 2020, 1.73 kilograms of material was collected from the lunar nearside.
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The next mission has a more ambitious objective - to collect the first ever dust and rock samples from the moon's mysterious far side. It will also carry scientific instruments from France, Sweden and Pakistan.
The location will be the South Pole-Aitken basin, the largest, deepest, and oldest basin recognized on the moon. Experts say samples from there could provide new insights into lunar history and the difference in rock composition between the two sides.
"This is the dream of every geophysicist and geologist who wants to explore the moon, so we are part of a one-of-a-kind mission." confirmed Dell'Agnello.
The probe is now in lunar orbit and will join up with another spacecraft in orbit, CNSA said.
The samples will be transferred to a return module, which will fly back to Earth, with a landing in China's Inner Mongolia region expected around June 25.
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