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China’s Chang’e 5 probe touches down on the Moon

Last week, China launched its Chang’e 5 mission to the Moon. The mission would see China collecting soil samples from the Moon autonomous before sending the vessel back to Earth.

On Tuesday Chang’e 5’s robotic lander and launcher touched down on the Moon and the China National Space Administration released video footage and photos from the surface of the Moon.

One of those images is a panoramic shot of the Moon that measures in at 15 000 x 7947p. Obviously, we can’t embed that image here, but Ars Technica has linked to a Google Drive folder containing the image that can be viewed here.

The Chang’e 5 lander touched down in the Oceanus Procellarum region and we also have video footage from China Central Television.

Today will mark the real test for China as the samples it has collected are sent back to Earth.

The lander, as mentioned, also contains a launcher. This launcher will leave the surface of the Moon and rendezvous with an orbiter which is circling the Moon, before heading back to Earth.

Should China get this right, it will hold the first lunar samples returned to Earth in more than forty years.

[Image – CC 0 Pixabay]

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