China is the first nation to land on the far side of the moon. The spaceship, Chang'e 4, touched down on the moon on Thursday. A professor said the mission was a major milestone for China. He said China is now a pioneer in space exploration. He said: "We Chinese people have done something that the Americans have not dared try." The chief designer of Chang'e-4, said: "Landing on the far side of the moon is more risky than landing on the near side."
The Chang'e-4 probe sent photographs to Earth soon after it landed. China said the mission had, "lifted the mysterious veil" from the far side of the moon and "opened a new chapter in human lunar exploration". A spokesman said it would, "help lay the foundation for future space exploration." He added that China would explore the moon, asteroids, "and even the whole solar system". China has plans to launch a returnable spacecraft (Chang'e 5) by 2020.