China Launches Chang'e-5 to Bring First Lunar Samples to Earth Since 1976
China successfully launches the robotic Chang'e-5 mission to collect and return moon rocks, marking the first lunar sample-return effort in 44 years. The complex spacecraft aims to gather about four pounds of material from the Oceanus Procellarum region.
China successfully launches its robotic Chang'e-5 mission from the Wenchang Space Launch Center atop a Long March 5 rocket. This bold and complex endeavor marks the first lunar sample-return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. The spacecraft weighs 18,100 pounds and aims to deliver pristine moon material back to Earth by mid-December.
The mission involves a highly coordinated sequence of events for its four separate modules. After arriving in lunar orbit around November 28, the mission sends a lander and an ascent vehicle down to the surface near a young volcanic feature called Mons Rümker. This specific landing zone lies within the vast Oceanus Procellarum plain, an area previously explored by NASA's Apollo 12 mission.
Once on the ground, the stationary lander uses cameras, ground-penetrating radar, and a spectrometer to study the surrounding environment. Its primary objective is to collect approximately 4.4 pounds of lunar material, extracting some of this rock and soil from depths of up to 6.5 feet. This pristine sample promises to provide valuable new scientific data about the moon's volcanic history.