Beijing, Nov 01 : China's experimental unmanned Moon orbiter has successfully returned to Earth, it has been reported.

The test lunar orbiter, nicknamed 'Xiaofei' on Chinese social networks, landed in Siziwang Banner of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Nov 1, 2014, the China Daily reported.

Search teams have already recovered the orbiter at the designated landing area, about 500 kilometers away from Beijing.

The orbiter traversed 840,000 kilometers on its eight-day mission that saw it round the far side of the Moon and take some incredible pictures of Earth and Moon together.

China has succeeded in the world's first mission to the Moon and back in some 40 years, becoming the third nation to do so after the former Soviet Union and the United States.

The eight-day program was a test run for the final chapter of China's three-step; orbiting, landing and finally returning, lunar program. (ANI)