DUST IN TIME China Moon probe returns to Earth carrying first lunar sample in DECADES as space race with US heats up Harry Pettit, Senior Digital Technology and Science Reporter 17 Dec 2020, 11:55 Updated: 17 Dec 2020, 13:01 CHINA'S Moon capsule returned to Earth on Thursday carrying the first lunar samples in over four decades. The haul of rock and dust offers the possibility of new insights into the Solar System and marks a new landmark for China's space ambitions. 8 An unmanned spacecraft carrying lunar samples has landed in ChinaCredit: EPA The capsule of the Change 5 probe landed just before 6pm UK time in the Siziwang district of the Inner Mongolia region, the China National Space Administration reported.