"change-5"

Zhang Kejian, head of the CNSA, handed over the samples to Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on Saturday, reports Xinhua news agency.

It was the first attempt to bring the moon samples in over 40 years after the US sent astronauts to the moon to collect samples.

The lander-ascender combination of the spacecraft separated from its orbiter-returner combination at around 4.40 a.m. on Monday (Beijing Time), Xinhua news agency quoted the China National Space Administration (CNSA) as saying.