Chinese lander returns to Earth with Moon rocks

BEIJING: An unmanned Chinese spacecraft carrying rocks and soil from the Moon returned safely to Earth early Thursday, completing the first mission in four decades to collect lunar samples.

While scientists hope the samples will give insights into the Moon’s origins and volcanic activity on its surface, the trip was also another high-profile chapter in China’s bid to become a space superpower.

In images broadcast on state television, a Chinese flag was flown at the snow-covered grasslands where the capsule landed in the country’s remote north.

The probe comprised separate craft to get to the Moon, land on it and collect the samples, get back up and then return the rocks and soil to Earth.

The return capsule…