China’s lunar exploration program made headlines at the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney, where the Chang’e-6 mission won the 2025 World Space Award (Team Category) from the International Astronautical Federation. The mission, which made history by retrieving samples from the Moon’s far side, underscored China’s commitment to advancing science and global cooperation in space.

At the same time, authorities opened international applications for the second batch of Chang’e-5 lunar samples, inviting researchers worldwide to join China’s expanding lunar science efforts. “So far, over 200 scientific papers have been published using China’s lunar samples… The moon belongs to all humanity, and we should explore it together,” said Guan Feng, director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Centre of the CNSA, to a Chinese news outlet.

Upcoming missions promise even deeper collaboration, including the Chang’e-8 mission in 2028, which will carry international payloads – and even Africa’s first lunar mission, Africa2Moon – marking a new era of shared discovery beyond Earth.

Source: China Central Television