China to launch mission to bring moon samples to earth

A Chinese rocket carrying the Chang’e 5 moon sample-return spacecraft was moved to its launch pad in Hainan Island’s Wenchang Satellite Launch Center this week.

NASA said in a statement that the March 5 heavy-lift carrier rocket is “tentatively” scheduled to launch on November 24, 2020.

The Chang’e 5, the latest mission in China’s lunar exploration program, is consists of four modules, orbiter, lander, ascender, and re-entry module, which will go into lunar orbit, NASA added.

“The descender, comprising two of the modules will separate from the orbiter, comprising the other two modules, and land on the Moon. One module, the lander, is equipped to collect samples and transfer them to the second module, the ascent vehicle, designed to launch from the lunar surface into orbit, where it will dock with the third module, the service capsule. Finally, the samples will be transferred to the return capsule, the fourth module, which will leave lunar orbit and bring the samples to Earth,” read the statement.

NASA added that the spacecraft has a total mass of approximately 8200 kg, “Power is provided by solar panels. Chang’e 5 carries a robotic arm, a coring drill, and a sample chamber.”

According to the statement, “the mission goal is to land in the Mons Rumker region of Oceanus Procellarum (roughly 41-45 deg. N, 49-69 deg. W), operate for one lunar day (two weeks) and return a 2 kg sample of lunar regolith, possibly from as deep as 2 meters.” 

NASA stated that the sample will be returned to Earth in the return capsule in China.

Meanwhile, China Daily reported that the Chang’e 5, findings will facilitate scientists’ research on the moon’s origin and evolution.

According to the report, if the Chang’e 5 mission becomes successful, it will make China the third nation in the world to bring lunar samples back after the United States and Russia, and will also make Chang’e 5 the world’s first lunar sample-return mission since August 1976 when the former Soviet Union’s unmanned Luna-24 brought 170.1 grams of lunar samples to the Earth.