China's unmanned spacecraft Chang'e-5 successfully lands on Moon to collect sample

Beijing : China's spacecraft Chang'e-5 has made a successful and safe landing on the planet Moon on Tuesday. It aims to collect the rock samples from the lunar surface.

This unmanned mission is named after the mythical Chinese goddess of the moon, and it aims to collect lunar material to help scientists learn more about the moon’s origins.

The rocket took off on November 24, making it the world’s first moon-sample mission for more than 40 years. According to reports, it aims at bringing 2 kg (4-1/2 lbs) of samples in a previously unvisited area in a massive lava plain known as Oceanus Procellarum, or “Ocean of Storms”.

According to a report by news agency Reuters, if the mission is completed as planned, it would make China the third nation to have retrieved lunar samples after the United States and the Soviet Union.

The lander vehicle that touched down on the moon’s surface was one of several spacecraft deployed by the Chang’e-5 probe. It is planned that a robotic arm will be extended to scoop up rocks and regolith on the lunar surface and a drill will bore into the ground. About 2 kg of samples are expected to be collected and sealed in a container in the spacecraft.

Then the ascender will take off, and dock with the orbiter-returner in orbit. After the samples are transferred to the returner, the ascender will separate from the orbiter-returner.