BEIJING (AP) – The Chinese space capsule that will bring back the first lunar rocks in more than four decades began a three-day return to Earth on Sunday.
The Chinese National Space Administration said in a social media post that the Chang 5 lunar probe, which has been orbiting the moon for about a week, fired four engines in about 22 minutes to get out of the moon’s orbit.
The Kraft Lander hit the moon earlier this month near an image called Mons rumbler, believed to be the site of an ancient volcanic activity. It collected about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of samples.
After separating from the rest of the spacecraft and floating on parachutes, the returning capsule is expected to land in Inner Mongolia in northern China. The material will be brought back after the 1976 Luna 24 trial of the Soviet Union.
Rocks and other debris were obtained by drilling into the lunar surface and scooping directly from the surface. They may be billions of years younger than those brought about by previous American and Soviet missions, and may provide insights into the history of the Moon and other bodies in the solar system.
China has set up laboratories to analyze samples for age and composition, as well as hundreds of kilograms (pounds) brought in by the United States and the former Soviet Union, and is expected to share some of them with other countries.
China’s space program is undergoing a series of ambitious missions, including a route to Mars. The Chang Lunar Project, named after the ancient Chinese moon goddess, has been directing the Chang 4 probe into the moon’s less explored distance for the past two years.
Future plans call for a man to return to the moon and possibly a permanent moon base. China is also building a space station to be operational by 2022.