A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon on Thursday, in huge statement which underlines Beijing’s ambitions to become a space superpower.

According to the China National Space Administration, the area of the moon where the spacecraft landed is an uncharted side never visible from Earth. The probe, comprising a lander and a rover, landed at the preselected landing area on the far side of the moon at 10:26 a.m. Beijing Time.

The Chang’e-4 probe is the second Chinese probe to land on the moon, following the Yutu (Jade Rabbit) rover mission in 2013.

Beijing is investing billions into its space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022, and of eventually sending humans to the moon.

Chang’e-4 is carrying ten experiments, six from China and four from abroad, including low-frequency radio astronomical studies — aiming to take advantage of the lack of interference on the far side.

Beijing also plans to send another lunar lander, Chang’e-5, next year to collect samples from the moon.

It is among a number of ambitious Chinese targets, which include a reusable launcher by 2021, a super-powerful rocket capable of delivering payloads heavier than those NASA and private rocket firm SpaceX can handle, a moon base, a permanently crewed space station, and a Mars rover.