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China’s Chang’e 5 space module has left the moon after completing its mission to collect rock samples, China’s new official Xinhua agency reports.
The lander is expected to connect with a spacecraft that will take it out of lunar orbit and bring it back to earth in the next few days.
The space module landed on the moon on Tuesday and began collecting rock samples on Wednesday, state media reported.
The Chinese mission aims to bring lunar samples back to earth for the first time in 44 years.
The only other countries that have done this are the United States and the Soviet Union.
Chang’e 5, named after the Chinese moon goddess, was launched in late November from the Wenchang spaceport on the southern Chinese island of Hainan.
Chinese probes have already successfully landed on the moon twice before.
The Chang’e 5 mission aims to bring about 2 kg of material back to earth.
The researchers hope the samples will provide new insights into the moon’s volcanic activity.
The US Apollo missions brought back about 380 kg of moon rock.
The Soviet Union collected 300 g.
China’s ambitious space program also includes building its own space station by 2022 and sending an exploration mission to Jupiter by 2029.
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