China launched a space probe on Monday (11/11) to collect material from the moon’s surface and then return it to Earth. The Chang’e 5 spacecraft mission is the first of its kind since the 1970s.
The probe was launched at the Long Rocket carrier ship on March 5 at the Wenchang launch center in southern China’s Hainan province.
“The probe entered exactly the pre-established orbit. The mission was successfully completed,” said Zhang Xueyu, director of the launch center and head of the mission, citing CCTV state television.
According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, they are “one of the most complex and difficult space missions” China has ever undertaken.
“The mission will help promote China’s scientific and technological development and lay an important foundation for manned landings on the Moon in the future,” said Pei Zhaoyu, deputy director of the Lunar Exploration Center of the Space Administration.
Chang’e 5 will place various modules on the surface of the moon to excavate about 2 meters on the surface of the moon and to collect about 2 kg of stones and earth. The spacecraft will take two days to reach the surface and the mission will last 23 days, Peik said. Samples are expected to arrive at the Earth capsule in mid-December in Mongolia.
The mission will make China the third country capable of taking samples of lunar material after the United States and the former Soviet Union did the same.
According to CCTV, the mission aims to assist in scientific research into the formation and evolution of the Moon.
The mission, named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e, is one of the bravest in China since the country first introduced man in 2003, making it the third nation to do so by the U.S. and Russia.
In 2019, it was the Chinese probe Chang’e 4 that first landed on the side of the unexplored Moon, which cannot be seen from Earth. It continues to provide full measurements of radiation exposure from the surface of the moon to any country that intends to send essential astronauts to the moon.
Last July, China launched a mission to Mars to become one of the three countries to look for water signs on the red planet. Chinese authorities have indicated that the Tianwen 1 spacecraft is set to reach Mars around February.
Although the United States has continued China’s success in space, it is unlikely to cooperate with the country in the face of political tensions and mistrust, denouncing military competition and technology expropriation.
AS / lusa / efe / ap
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Apollo 11: Photos from the first trip to the moon
“A small step for man”
The first steps of the moon. As he stepped on the surface of the moon, on July 20, 1969, American Neil Armstrong said one of the most famous phrases of all time: “This is a small step [um] man, but a great leap for humanity. “It is still debated today how and when the astronaut created this phrase, and when he said that he forgot the article ‘one.’
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Apollo 11: Photos from the first trip to the moon
The game
From the control room of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Apollo program director Samuel C. Phillips oversees pre-launch activities on July 16, 1969. Apollo 11, the first lunar mission, launched the 5th Saturn rocket. On the spaceship were Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins.
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Apollo 11: Photos from the first trip to the moon
Space TV
These three people who camped on thousands of beaches and roads near Kennedy Space Center, NASA launch camped at Cape Canaveral, Florida station, Apollo 11. Approximately one million people closely monitored the departure of people who went to the site to see up close the historic space flight.
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Apollo 11: Photos from the first trip to the moon
Lights, camera, action, remove!
But not only thousands of fans, but also thousands of journalists reported the departure of the Apollo 11 mission. A total of 3,497 journalists were officially accredited for the event and all gathered at the Kennedy Space Center press area. On July 16, 1969, Saturn 5 took off.
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Apollo 11: Photos from the first trip to the moon
Teamwork
One of the crew was unable to step on the moon and had to be in orbit. Michael Collins (midfielder) said in 2009: “I felt part of what happened on the moon. I know that if I said I would occupy the best three lies, I would be a liar or a fool. [da Apollo 11], but I can truly say that I am happy with what I have done. “
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Apollo 11: Photos from the first trip to the moon
“The eagle has landed!”, But …
On July 20, 1969, at 20:17:58 (UTC), Neil Armstrong made a detailed transmission: “The eagle has landed!” The two astronauts had to step on the moon, first they had to prepare for the return flight. Finally, on July 21, at 2h56min20s (UTC), the big moment arrived: Neil Armstrong stepped on the surface of the moon.
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Apollo 11: Photos from the first trip to the moon
Very close
This photo was taken by Michael Collins on July 21st. The module of the eagle moon can be seen returning from the moon; behind it can be seen the surface of the moon and, on its horizon, the Earth. While Armstrong and Aldrin were the first humans to step on the Moon, Collins held his position in the Columbia command module and waited in orbit for the moon.
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Apollo 11: Photos from the first trip to the moon
Sample No. 10,003
On a two-hour exploration tour outside the eagle, Armstrong and Aldrin collected 21.5 kilograms of lunar material. It is part of this little rock. The photo was taken on July 27, after returning to Earth. At six lunar landings, astronauts collected 2,415 samples, for a total of nearly 400 kilograms. All are listed in the “Catalog of Moon Samples and Photographs.”
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Apollo 11: Photos from the first trip to the moon
Astral curiosities
But the astronauts left all sorts of things behind. This Neil Armstrong brush is still one of the most iconic items. The 15 cm long olive branch represents peace. Future visitors can also find golf balls, a family photo with the camera, Andy Warhol’s work or a hawk feather. And beware of astronaut feces.
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Apollo 11: Photos from the first trip to the moon
Back to earth
At 16:50 on 24 July (UTC), crews landed in the Pacific Ocean, 21 miles from the USS Hornet and 1,480 miles southwest of Hawaii. Upon arrival, the astronauts had to fill out a customs form, declaring the rocks of the moon. When asked if they could lead to pathogens, they replied “unspecified”. So they went to quarantine first.
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Apollo 11: Photos from the first trip to the moon
Stars not only in space suits
In this photo, the astronauts on the Apollo 11 mission are not wearing space suits, but shadows and ponchos. A tour took him 24 days and 27 cities in 45 days. The United States wanted to emphasize its willingness to share its spatial knowledge. Astronauts were celebrated as stars, just like here, in Mexico City on September 23, 1969.
Author: Hannah Fuchs (ca)
