Image released by the China National Space Administration on Dec 4, 2020 shows China's national flag unfurled from the Chang'e-5 probe on the moon.

BEIJING - The China National Space Administration Friday released images showing China's national flag unfurled from the Chang'e-5 probe on the moon.

Chang'e-5 is one of the most complicated and challenging missions in Chinese aerospace history

The images were taken by a panoramic camera installed on the lander-ascender combination of the probe, before the ascender blasted off from the moon with lunar samples late Thursday.

In one of the images, a robotic arm to collect lunar samples can be seen next to the flag.

The lander-ascender combination of Chang'e 5 robotic lunar probe finished gathering lunar samples and packed them in a vacuum container on Wednesday night. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

China's Chang'e-5 probe was launched on Nov 24, and its lander-ascender combination touched down on the north of the Mons Rumker in Oceanus Procellarum, also known as the Ocean of Storms, on the near side of the moon on Dec 1.

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An illustration of Chang'e 5's ascender lifting itself to lunar orbit. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

After the samples were collected and sealed, the ascender of Chang'e-5 took off from the lunar surface late Thursday, and is expected to carry out unmanned rendezvous and docking with the orbiter-returner in lunar orbit, an unprecedented feat.

Chang'e-5 is one of the most complicated and challenging missions in Chinese aerospace history, as well as the world's first moon-sample mission in more than 40 years.

This picture taken on Dec 1, 2020 and released on Dec 2, 2020 by the China National Space Administration shows an image of the moon surface taken by the panoramic camera aboard the lander-ascender combination of the Chang'e-5 spacecraft after landing on the moon.