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China moon probe Chang e-5 back on Earth
It s the first time in years that lunar samples have arrived back on Earth. Ground crew are on their way to collect the capsule and its precious cargo.
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Chinese lunar probe Chang e 5 back on Earth
China s Chang e-5 moon probe has landed in the Siziwang area of Inner Mongolia in the early hours of Thursday local time, China s official state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.
The Chinese space capsule is carrying 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of samples from the moon s surface. These are the first lunar samples to be brought back to Earth for 44 years.
December 16, 2020 SHARE A graphic simulation shows the orbiter and returner combination of China s Chang e-5 probe after its separation from the ascender. (Image: CNSA)
The Chinese space agency announced Dec. 16 the return of a lunar probe bringing back the first fresh samples of rock and debris from the moon in more than 40 years.
Jolliff
Bradley L. Jolliff, the Scott Rudolph Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and director of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, said that the Chang’e-5 lunar probe landed in a scientifically very important location on the moon.