[ad_1]
The Long March rocket carrying Chang’e 5, ready for launch.
CNSA
The Chinese space agency launched its Chang’e 5 mission on Monday on one of its Long March 5 rockets. The lunar sample return mission aims to catch some lunar debris, the first time a country has done so in decades.
The mission consists of a lunar orbiter, lander, ascent probe, and reentry module. According to NASASpaceflight.com, the landing is expected on November 29 in Mons Rumker, a region of the moon that has seen volcanic activity in its past more recently than other parts of our natural satellite. This could mean that the area is home to some of the youngest moon rocks in the area, providing a new window into its geology.
The China National Space Administration says the Chang’e 5 lander will pierce the lunar surface “to collect underground rocks” and use a mechanical arm to collect surface soil samples. The ascent probe will lift about 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of samples from the moon’s surface to transport them back to Earth. The sample will land on December 15 in Inner Mongolia, where it will be collected for study.
The Soviets were the last to bring lunar land home with the Luna 24 mission in 1976.
Chang’e 5 gets its name from the Chinese goddess of the moon and follows the Chang’e Mission 4, which sent a lander and a rover to the other side of the moon, where they have been taking some interesting photos for almost two years.
The spacecraft is expected to reach lunar orbit on November 28. There is a live stream of the mission, which you can watch below.
