Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
It what could mark the beginning of another era of “space races”, China has officially launched an unmanned spacecraft to the moon with plans of bringing back lunar rocks. It marks the first attempt by any nation to retrieve rocks from the moon since the 1970s. On Monday, Reuters confirmed the launch:
CHINA LAUNCHES ROCKET CARRYING PROBE IN HISTORIC MISSION TO MOON- RTRS
China’s probe, the Chang’e-5, sets off with the goal of China learning more about the moon’s origin and formation. If China succeeds, they will be only the third country to have retrieved samples from the moon – behind the U.S. and Soviet Union, according to CNN.
The goal of the mission to collect 4.5 pounds of samples in a previously untouched area called Oceanus Procellarum, or “Ocean of Storms”. The U.S. Apollo missions had previously landed 12 astronauts and brought back a total of 842 pounds of rocks and soil. The Soviet Union’s Luna missions had brought 6 ounces of samples in the 70s.
Both countries visited different areas of the moon than the Chinese aspire to visit.
James Head, a planetary scientist at Brown University, said: “The Apollo-Luna sample zone of the moon, while critical to our understanding, was undertaken in an area that comprises far less than half the lunar surface.”
Once it’s on the moon, the probe will deploy two vehicles and a lander will drill into the ground. Samples of the moon’s surface will then lift off to another module in orbit. Eventually, they will make their way back to Earth in a return capsule.
China has visited the moon with probes in 2013 and 2019. The country says it has plans to establish a “robotic base station” on the moon within the next decade. It plans on doing so using its Chang’e 6, Chang’e 7 and Chang’e 8 missions.
The country has also publicly said it has aspirations of getting samples from Mars before 2030.
There are still unvisited areas?
With about 10 moon missions that involved landing, collecting samples and returning, I’d say that most of the moon can be called unvisited, especially the dark side.
BTW the Chinese flight is definitely ‘historic’ and not the blather about the U.S. launches which are only replacing our use of Russian rockets. I’m fine with the DIY approach, I think countries should push their own technology boundaries but we certainly are not breaking new ground but on CNN / FOX their eyes bug out of their heads and shout … ‘an Historic space launch ! ‘
At least the Chinese are actually doing something novel.
According to many Russians, Americans never touched the moon even with robots and Fox and Cnn eyes should be pulled out and many many other things. Back to the Chinese, congrats, they are the thoug competition for the West not wannabes like Russia.
Many, many, many Americans also share the same thought along with many more from all around the world. Yet you singling out the Russians. Russkiye gopniki denying Amerikanskiy moon landing… You know what? I actually liked it!
I guess we have to wait and see the result of the Chinese sample composition. Pity they don’t take samples from near American landing sites.
PS. Still homeless? What happened to the bar owner?
Everything is under lockdown. Just last night had a vivid dream with me and friends breaking the doors of a closed club. As for the moon landing I know there are plenty of scepticists, but if you sit and talk with the average person you have high chances to hear new theories that makes your eyes roll.
We don’t know what they hide, but colonizing another planet (or the moon), and leaving this one to Jews, is imperative.