China collects first lunar samples in over 40 years
China’s Chang’e-5 spacecraft is bringing lunar samples to Earth for the first time in forty-four years. The last spacecraft to collect lunar soil and rock samples was the (then) Soviet Union’s Luna 24 in 1976. Chang’e-5 lifted off on a Long March 5 rocket on Nov. 23. This mission included significant firsts both for China and the world. As the Chinese National Space Administration’s (CNSA) most ambitious space mission yet, Chang’e-5 puts the country on the map in terms of space exploration, as they were notably able to pull off the first autonomous rendez-vous in lunar orbit.
If you would like to see more articles like this please support our coverage of the space program by becoming a
Spaceflight Now Member. If everyone who enjoys our website helps fund it, we can expand and improve our coverage further.
Staff members handle the capsule containing lunar samples returned by the Chang’e 5 mission. Credit: Xinhua
Chinese officials say they plan to share a portion of the nearly 4 pounds of lunar material returned by the Chang’e 5 mission with other countries, but an allocation for U.S. scientists will hinge on a change in U.S. policy restricting cooperation between NASA and China’s space program.
8 History-Making Space Stories Of 2020
It’s been a hard year on Earth.
But despite a global pandemic, scientists made huge strides in understanding the universe beyond our planet. They detected far-off signals, launched astronauts into orbit around the Earth, and sent probes to Mars, the moon, and even an asteroid. In a year like no other on our planet, here are eight of this year’s top space stories.
Phosphine in Venus’ atmosphere
Although astronomer Carl Sagan
proposed the idea that life could exist in the atmosphere of our planetary neighbor Venus in 1967, there had never been much evidence of it. Although a probe found methane on the planet in 1978, Sagan himself was doubtful the discovery definitively pointed to life. But this past September, a team of researchers led by Jane Greaves, an astrobiologist at Cardiff University, published a
Russia is falling behind in a crowded field in the Race to the Moon, lacking focus, technology, and funding required in a new and improved scientific quest.
우주로 뻗어가는 중국, 미워하고 있을 수만은 없다 pressian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.