The return capsule of the Chang'e-5 probe in Siziwang Banner, northern Inner Mongolia. Previous NextThe return capsule of China's Chang'e-5 probe touched down on Earth in the early hours of Thursday, bringing back the country's first samples collected from the moon, as well as lunar samples in over 40 years, state media Xinhua reports. The return capsule separated from the orbiter about 5,000 km above the Atlantic. The capsule is set to be airlifted to Beijing for opening, and the moon samples will be delivered to the research team for analysis and study, said the CNSA. Though lunar samples were brought back in U.S. and Soviet missions, scientists need more samples of different ages to piece together a complete history of the moon.

Source: The Standard December 17, 2020 01:07 UTC