China successfully launches its first spacecraft to moon to collect samples

 

China successfully launched its first unmanned space mission to collect samples from the moon's surface and return to earth.

China successfully launched its first unmanned space mission on Tuesday to collect samples from the moon's surface and return to earth, the country's maiden attempt to retrieve materials from an extra-terrestrial body.

China has successfully launched the Change-5 lunar probe from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan, state-run CGTN reported. The spacecraft was launched by a Long March-5 rocket at 4.30 am (Beijing Time).

Change-5 is one of the most complicated and challenging missions in China's aerospace history, as well as the world's first moon-sample mission in more than 40 years.

The United States sent astronauts to the moon to collect samples. In the Soviet Union's unmanned lunar sampling missions, the spacecraft took off from the moon and returned to Earth directly.

But China chose a complicated technological approach including unmanned rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit, which could bring back more samples and lay a technological foundation for manned lunar missions, according to Pei Zhaoyu, deputy director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Centre of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), ahead of the launch.

The mission will help promote China's science and technology development and lay an important foundation for China's future manned lunar landing and deep space exploration, Pei said.

Chang'e-5, comprising an orbiter, a lander, an ascender, and a returner, with a total take-off mass of 8.2 tonnes, is expected to accomplish unmanned rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit, a complicated feat.