BEIJING, June 28. /TASS/. China’s Chang’e 6 lunar probe collected 1,935.3 grams of lunar soil samples from the far side of the moon and brought them back to Earth, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said, citing the results of preliminary research.

At a ceremony in Beijing, CNSA Director Zhang Kejian handed the container with samples and the sample certificate over to Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Ding Chibiao.

"We have found that the samples brought back by Chang’e 6 were more viscous compared to previous samples, with the presence of clumps," said Ge Ping, deputy director of the CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center (LESEC), who is also the spokesman for the Chang’e 6 mission.

Earlier, the CNSA said that it was willing to share China’s achievements in lunar exploration with the international community. In accordance with the lunar sample management rules, which were published by the CNSA, the Chang’e 6 samples are expected to be open to Chinese research institutions and scientists in around six months. Foreign scientists may also submit their applications.

In early May, China launched the robotic Chang’e 6 mission to collect the first-ever soil and rock samples from the far side of the moon. The lunar probe touched down inside Apollo Crater, located in the South Pole-Aitken basin. In early June, Chang’e 6 launched from the far side of the moon carrying lunar soil samples. On June 25, the probe returned to Earth with these samples, landing in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China.