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IPFS News Link • Space Travel and Exploration

Chinese Probe Departs Moon, Set To Return To Earth With Haul Of Lunar Rocks

• https://www.zerohedge.com by Tyler Durden

The probe was tasked with collecting a sample of lunar rocks, a task not undertaken by China in its last two trips to the moon, which occurred in 2019 and 2013. 

We reported two days ago that the spacecraft had landed on the moon. China's National Space Administration declared on Tuesday morning that it's "Chang'e-5 successfully landed on the near side of moon." 

The probe's mission included using a robotic arm, from the lander, to drill into the lunar surface to collect about four pounds of moon rocks, storing them in a container on the ascent module on top of the lander, before returning to Earth. 

The goal of the mission was to collect 4.5 pounds of samples in a previously untouched area called Oceanus Procellarum, or "Ocean of Storms". BBC News' Jonathan Amos tweeted a CCTV clip of Chang'e 5 approaching the lunar surface earlier this week:


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