• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Physics Everywhere

Physics Everywhere

Learn Physics Easy Way

  • Cosmos
  • News
  • Earth
  • Concep of Physics

Chinese probe prepares to return moon rocks to Earth

December 6, 2020 by irfanguru Leave a Comment


In this China National Space Administration (CNSA) photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a simulated image of the ascender of Chang’e-5 spacecraft blasting off from the lunar surface at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) in Beijing on Dec. 3, 2020. The Chinese lunar probe lifted off from the moon Thursday night with a cargo of lunar samples on the first stage of its return to Earth, state media reported. (China National Space Administration/Xinhua via AP)

A Chinese probe that landed on the moon transferred rocks to an orbiter Sunday in preparation for returning samples of the lunar surface to Earth for the first time in almost 45 years, the space agency announced.

The upper stage of the Change’e lander blasted off Friday from the lunar surface. If the mission succeeds, it will make China the third country after the United States and former Soviet Union to bring moon rocks to Earth.

The ascent stage docked with a robot spacecraft orbiting the moon at 5:42 a.m. Sunday (2142 GMT Saturday), state media reported, citing the China National Space Administration. A container with 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of rocks was transferred to the orbiter 30 minutes later.

A capsule carrying the rock samples is due to land in China’s northern grasslands in the Inner Mongolia region in mid-December. They will be the first fresh samples of the lunar surface obtained by scientists since the Soviet Union’s Luna 24 probe in 1976.

The CNSA released a photo taken by the orbiter showing the ascent stage rocket approaching for a rendezvous.

China is in the midst of a series of increasingly ambitious space missions including a probe en route to Mars and development of a reusable space plane. Plans call for returning a human to the moon five decades after American astronauts.

  • Chinese probe prepares to return moon rocks to Earth
    This image provided by China National Space Administration shows Chang’e-5 probe gathering samples on the moon surface on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020. A Chinese lunar probe lifted off from the moon Thursday, Dec. 3 night with a cargo of lunar samples on the first stage of its return to Earth, the government space agency reported, on what is expected to be a breakthrough mission for the rising Asian space power. (China National Space Administration/Xinhua via AP)
  • Chinese probe prepares to return moon rocks to Earth
    In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, screens at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) show the blast and the simulation of the ascender of Chang’e-5 spacecraft blasting off from the lunar surface in Beijing on Thursday Dec. 3, 2020 The Chinese lunar probe lifted off from the moon Thursday night with a cargo of lunar samples on the first stage of its return to Earth, state media reported. (Jin Liwang/Xinhua via AP)
  • Chinese probe prepares to return moon rocks to Earth
    This image provided by China National Space Administration shows the ascender of Chang’e-5 spacecraft blasting off from the moon surface on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020. A Chinese lunar probe lifted off from the moon on Thursday night with a cargo of lunar samples on the first stage of its return to Earth, the government space agency reported, on what is expected to be a breakthrough mission for the rising Asian space power. (China National Space Administration/Xinhua via AP)

Chinese spacecraft carrying lunar rocks lifts off from moon


© 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Citation:
Chinese probe prepares to return moon rocks to Earth (2020, December 6)
retrieved 6 December 2020
from https://phys.org/news/2020-12-chinese-probe-moon-earth.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.





Source link

Filed Under: News

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

More to See

Petroleum engineers develop technology to simulate mechanical properties of subterranean rock

February 26, 2021 By irfanguru

When using pyrite to understand Earth’s ocean and atmosphere: Think local, not global

February 26, 2021 By irfanguru

Melting ocean mud helps prevent major earthquakes—and may show where quake risk is highest

February 26, 2021 By irfanguru

Giant iceberg breaks off near UK Antarctic base

February 26, 2021 By irfanguru

The GRANTECAN discovers the largest cluster of galaxies known in the early universe

February 26, 2021 By irfanguru

Recent Posts

  • Flood-prone Miami to spend billions tackling sea level rise
  • When using pyrite to understand Earth’s ocean and atmosphere: Think local, not global
  • Giant iceberg breaks off near UK Antarctic base
  • The GRANTECAN discovers the largest cluster of galaxies known in the early universe
  • Microbes deep beneath seafloor survive on byproducts of radioactive process
  • Carbon-cutting pledges by countries nowhere near enough
  • Changing the way we conduct research: Advocating for sustainability science
  • Melting ocean mud helps prevent major earthquakes—and may show where quake risk is highest
  • How ever-changing U.S. space policy may push back the next moon landing
  • Using deep-sea fiber optic cables to detect earthquakes

Footer

Categories

  • Cosmos
  • News
  • Earth
  • Concep of Physics

Recent

  • Flood-prone Miami to spend billions tackling sea level rise
  • When using pyrite to understand Earth’s ocean and atmosphere: Think local, not global
  • Giant iceberg breaks off near UK Antarctic base
  • The GRANTECAN discovers the largest cluster of galaxies known in the early universe
  • Microbes deep beneath seafloor survive on byproducts of radioactive process

Search

Affiliate Links

  • Become An Affiliate of Edugram
  • Edugram Assignments
  • Edugram Writer

Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in