Sri Lanka, Dec. 5 -- 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.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Hiru News....