China's spacecraft touches Moon, will collect soil samples

Photo for representational purpose

China's Chang'e-5 mission, intended to bring back around 2 kg of lunar soil and rocks to the earth, touched down on the Moon on Tuesday.

Unlike the launch of the mission a week ago, the robotic mission's landing was not covered live by Chinese TV channels and only after the touchdown, did they interrupt scheduled programming to flash the news, the BBC reported.

The probe, which descended on the volcanic Mons Rumker area in the Oceanus Procellarum region, could spend the next two days examining its surroundings and gathering up the samples with the help of its camera, spectrometer, radar, scoop and a drill.

The lander will convey the samples to an orbiting vehicle that can bring them back.

According to the BBC, a similar feat was performed way back in 1976 by the Soviet Luna 24 mission, but it brought back just around 200 gm.

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