China launches the Chang'e-6 lunar mission from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 3, 2024. /CFP

China has made remarkable progress in 2024 in space, especially in pursuing its dream of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030.

On May 3, China successfully launched its latest lunar probe, the Chang'e-6, aiming to bring back 2 kilograms of samples from the far side of the moon, which humans have never done before. History was made on June 25 as the returner of the Chang'e-6 landed in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The samples, weighting 1,935.3 grams, have helped scientists unveil more mysteries of the moon. The latest study was published in Nature on December 19, which shows that the moon's magnetic field experienced a surprising resurgence in strength 2.8 billion years ago, following a significant decline around 3.1 billion years ago.