China became the second nation to plant its flag on the Moon after United States. Earlier, the US planted the first flag on the Moon during the Apollo mission in 1969. In the Apollo programme, which first put men on the moon, the US landed 12 astronauts over six flights from 1969 to 1972, bringing back 382 kg (842 pounds) of rocks and soil. On Friday, the China National Space Administration (CSNA) released pictures of Chinese flag placed on the lunar surface.