The spacecraft has four components-an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a reentry capsule.

Before landing, Chang'e 5 separated into two parts-the orbiter-reentry capsule combination and the lander-ascender combination-early on Monday morning.

While the lander-ascender has started surface operations, the orbiter-reentry capsule is in lunar orbit at an average altitude of about 200 km above the moon, according to the space administration.

After the collection and packing operations are completed, a 3,000-newton-thrust engine on the ascender will lift it to rendezvous and dock with the reentry module. It will transfer the lunar samples to the module and then separate from it.

If the mission is successful, it will make China the third nation to bring samples back from the moon, after the United States and the former Soviet Union.