People › Other ♦ Published: 50 minutes ago; 22:36 ♦ (Vindobona)
A piece of history from the inaccessible far side of the Moon has found a permanent place at the heart of international diplomacy. In a solemn ceremony themed “From lunar ground to common ground: a shared future for all,” China officially handed over a lunar sample to the United Nations (UN) in Vienna in September 2026. The rock will be on permanent display there.
The first-ever lunar soil samples from the far side of the Moon, collected by Chang'e-6, have been officially donated by China to the United Nations. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Rrinsindika, CC BY-SA 3.0
The sample on display comes from the Chinese Chang'e-6 mission, which in 2024 brought back to Earth approximately 1,935 grams of material from the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon. It was the first time in human history that rock and soil had been successfully retrieved from this side of the Moon, which is permanently facing away from Earth, as reported by Xinhua.
The lunar sample was unveiled jointly by Mr. SHAN Zhongde, Administrator of the CNSA; Ms. Monica JUMA, Director-General of the UN Office in Vienna; Ms. Aarti HOLLA-MAINI, Director of UNOOSA; and Ambassador LI Song, China's Permanent Representative to the UN and other International Organizations in Vienna. Participants expressed their expectation of collaborating with China to promote the peaceful use of space and praised China's accomplishments in space exploration.
From lunar ground to common ground! From the far side of the Moon to Vienna! Today, Ambassador LI Song and representative from the @UNOOSA, jointly placed the lunar samples in their new home in the Space Exhibition Area at Building E of the Vienna International Center (VIC), witnessed by officials from the Chinese Mission. The lunar samples, collected by China’s Chang’e-6 mission from the far side of the Moon for the first time in human history, will be on permanent display at the VIC. A remarkable milestone in humanity’s journey to explore the Moon—and a piece of lunar history waiting to be discovered. Come and see this extraordinary piece up close!
— Permanent Mission of China in Vienna (@ChinaMissionVie) October 5, 2026
At the ceremonial handover at the Vienna International Centre, diplomats, UN officials, and scientists crowded around to catch a glimpse of the rare exhibit. For Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the rock holds deep symbolic significance: “Lunar samples from the far side are so rare, but this one, thanks to China, belongs to everyone. It should not stand here as a trophy, but as a teacher.”
According to Ambassador LI Song, this event was a major step by China to support UN peace and development efforts and to carry out the four global initiatives. It also vividly embodies President Xi Jinping's vision of a community with a shared future for humanity. The occasion shows China's dedication to upholding the UN's standing and function in cooperation with all stakeholders, enhancing international space governance, and better serving humanity as a whole.
A Symbol of Global Cooperation
The event highlighted the potential of international space cooperation. Sinologist Richard Trappl emphasized that, through this step, the Moon had symbolically come to Vienna. Harvey Dzodin of the Center for China and Globalization noted that the sample serves as a technological ambassador for China and that the UN is the ideal place to share this success with the global community.
With its permanent display in Vienna, the moon rock is now accessible to thousands of visitors, delegates, and students who visit UN headquarters each year. The Chang’e-6 mission thus joins a series of remarkable technological achievements, while the scientific community is already looking forward to the upcoming Chinese missions Chang’e-7 and Chang’e-8.
Permanent Mission of the Peoples Republic of China to International Organizations in Vienna