China is looking forward to enhancements in lunar science studies as Chang’e 5 has collected samples from the moon’s surface and is returning them back to the earth soon
Chang'e 5, the third Chinese lunar probe has finished collection of samples from the surface of the moon and is returning to Earth. After 40 years a country has attempted such an ambitious mission. It is a part of Beijing’s space program, which has also enrooted another rover to Mars. Since 1976, no probe has touched down on the Moon’s near side until Chang'e 5, which landed on the Sea of Storms on 1st December 2020 to collect samples.
The ascender, which is the upper stage of the probe known is embarking on a journey towards the orbit of the moon to relocate the samples to a capsule which will then return to Earth. The time of return is still not certain but can take up to 14 days which measures equal to one moon day before the temperature changes become the main obstruction.
This lunar probe is equipped with both a scooper for surface scooping and a drill of two meters to dig underground and collect materials to be used for study the feature and chronicles of the moon. But sample taking is not the only work of this probe. Chang'e 5 also has cameras to take extensive photographs of the terrain, and ground-penetrating radar to analyze the composition of lunar soil.
After Russia and the U.S., China is the third country to have launched a manned spacecraft in 2003 called the Shenzhou spacecraft. The Chang'e 5 will be touching down in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia where Shenzhou has touched down earlier.
The news of Chang'e 5's return has reinitiated the anticipation of China building up a science base on the moon someday, although there has been no definite timeline for that. China is preparing to set up its own space station in 2022, by remodeling an already used spaceplane.