From the Moon's dark side: Chinese sample donated 'to all humanity'

China has donated a sample of lunar soil from the far side of the Moon to the United Nations. The handover took place after Monday's opening of the General Conference of the UN's nuclear watchdog in Vienna. 

It may just look like a bit of dust but it comes from a place no human has ever set foot – collected last year by China's Chang'e-6 robot in what was the first mission in history to bring back soil from the far side of the Moon. 

China has now handed over part of this precious sample to the United Nations, describing it as a gift to all of mankind.

"Exploring the vast universe is a shared dream that humanity has relentlessly pursued," said Shan Zhongde, the administrator of China's National Space Administration (CNSA), who believes space exploration should not be a national affair, but a joint international endeavor.

"China's Chang'e-6 mission achieved the first-ever return of samples collected from the far side of the Moon," Shan said. "Let us present this precious gift to the United Nations after it travelled from 380,000 kilometers away."

The lunar sample also shows how quickly the international space race is moving beyond Earth's orbit. China says it wants to deepen cooperation with other countries and international organizations – including through future lunar and deep-space missions. 

Its next major steps include Chang'e 7, which is set to explore the Moon's south pole, as well as missions to Mars and, ultimately, Jupiter. 

Whilst space may be vast, the ambition to explore it is increasingly shared.