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The lunar sample capsule landed in Inner Mongolia in northern China, according to the state news agency New China, which is referring to the Chinese space agency.
The unmanned Chang’e-5 lifted off from Earth on November 24 and was reported to have landed in the Ocean of Storms, a large lava plain on the Moon, on December 1. It is said that a Chinese flag was placed there and two days later the return journey began.
The project is prestigious for a China that has invested large sums of money in its space program. Only two other countries, the United States and the then Soviet Union, have managed to land on the moon, collect material, and return to Earth. Simply landing and getting up from the celestial body is considered a major challenge, which India and Israel, among others, have failed to achieve.
From a research point of view, it is particularly interesting because the Stormarnas ocean is an unexplored area. The hope is that the samples will provide new lessons about how the moon formed or about activity on its surface. The plan was to collect two kilos of stone and gravel, but how much it turned out to be unclear.
China’s largest space company previously landed a spacecraft on the moon for its exploration, which took place in January last year. In the long run, the goal is manned lunar missions.
