Posted: Fri, Dec 4, 2020, 10:23 AM ET (1523 GMT)
China's Chang'e-5 spacecraft successfully landed on the moon Tuesday on a mission to collect samples for return to Earth. The spacecraft made a soft landing near Mons Rümker in Oceanus Procellarum ("Ocean of Storms") at 10:11 am EST (1511 GMT). The spacecraft has since then been collecting samples, and launched them back into lunar orbit on Thursday. An orbiter will rendezvous with the ascent vehicle to take the samples back to Earth, landing in China in mid-December. Chang'e-5 is the first lunar sample return mission since the 1970s.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
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