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In Pictures: China’s moon mission milestone

The latest trip to the moon is another milestone in the Asian powerhouse’s slow but steady ascent to the stars.

The Long March-5 rocket is transported to the launching area. [AFP]
Published On 24 Nov 2020

China launched an ambitious mission on Tuesday to bring back rocks and debris from the moon’s surface for the first time in more than 40 years – an undertaking that could boost human understanding of the moon and solar system.

The Long March-5, China’s largest carrier rocket, blasted off at 4:30am Beijing time (20:30 GMT on Monday) in a launch from Wenchang Space Launch Center on the southern Chinese island of Hainan carrying the Chang’e-5 spacecraft.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) called the launch a success and said in a statement the rocket flew for nearly 37 minutes before sending the spacecraft on its intended trajectory.

The Chang’e-5 mission, named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the moon, will seek to collect lunar material to help scientists understand more about the moon’s origins and formation. The mission will test China’s ability to remotely acquire samples from space, ahead of more complex missions.

If the mission is completed as planned, it would make China only the third country to have retrieved lunar samples, joining the United States and the Soviet Union.

A Long March-5 rocket carrying the Chang'e 5 lunar mission lifts off at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Wenchang in southern China's Hainan province. [Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo]
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Workers gather near a building at the Wenchang Space Launch Site. [Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo]
China's mission aims to bring back material from the moon's surface for the first time in more than 40 years [Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo]
The mission is among China’s boldest since it first put a man in space in 2003, becoming only the third nation to do so after the US and Russia. [AFP]
Flames and exhaust trail behind the Long March-5 rocket carrying the Chang'e 5 lunar mission after lift off. [Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo]
Workers ride motorbikes near a flag with the logo of the Communist Party of China at the Wenchang Space Launch Site. [Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo]
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China launched a mission to the moon with an unmanned spacecraft on Tuesday to bring back lunar rocks. [EPA]
Pei Zhaoyu, spokesperson for Chang'e-5 Mission, attends a meeting with media before the launch. [Tingshu Wang/Reuters]
Men in China Space uniforms are seen before the launch of the Long March-5 Y5 rocket. [Tingshu Wang/Reuters]