A Chinese spacecraft departed from the moon on Thursday, leaving behind a sign of its trip on the lunar surface.
Hua Chuying, China's foreign ministry spokesperson, tweeted images of the nation's flag planted on the moon, while wishing the Chang'e 5 ship a safe journey back. Chang'e 5's unmanned mission was the latest in a series that comprises the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. Departing with a load of lunar rocks, the mission represented the first time a spacecraft tried to return moon samples since the Soviet Union did it in the 1970s.
NASA Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen congratulated China on its landing which took place Tuesday.
"Congratulations to China on the successful landing of Chang’e 5," Zubuchen tweeted.