Tashkent, Jan. 16 -- Photos sent back on Tuesday by China's Chang'e-4 lunar probe showed that the cotton seeds carried by the probe have sprouted.

The Chang'e-4 project had officially shifted to the scientific exploration stage days before.

A team of scientists from the Chongqing University in southwest China sent a small biological payload aboard the probe, which landed on the lunar surface on Jan. 3.

Weighing below three kilograms, the test payload includes six organisms including seeds of cotton, potatoes, Arabidopsis and rapeseeds, as well as fruit fly pupa and yeast.

The latest photos show that the cotton shoots are growing well. This is the first plant shoot that grows on the moon after experiencing severe environmental tests su...