This photo taken on May 3, 2024 shows the combination of the Chang'e-6 lunar probe and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province. The Chang'e-6 lunar probe is scheduled to be launched between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Friday, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

A Long March-5 rocket, carrying the Chang'e-6 spacecraft, lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on the coast of southern island province of Hainan on Friday afternoon.

The Chang'e-6 mission is tasked with collecting and returning samples from the moon's mysterious far side, the first endeavor of its kind in the history of human lunar exploration.