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2020-12-08
On November 23, 2020, China launched the unmanned Chang’e 5 spacecraft – destination moon – from the rocket launch site at Wenchang, in southern China. Five days later, Chang’e 5 entered the moon’s orbit, and then, on Tuesday, December 1, the spacecraft split in two. One part was the probe that landed on the surface of the moon to collect samples. The other remained in the moon’s orbit.
Positioned on an enormous dry plain called Oceanus Procellarum (“Ocean of Storms”), the Chang’e 5 module used drills and scooping tools to collect 2 kg (4.4 lbs) of rock from the moon. Then, two days later, an intricate maneuver was directed remotely from Earth – 380,000 km (236,000 miles) away: having completed its collecting work, the space module ascended to meet up with the part of the spacecraft that had stayed in the moon’s orbit. The two pieces connected, and the samples were transferred to the return capsule. This capsule with its lunar samples will land in Inner Mongolia later this month.
This was the first mission of its kind in over forty years, the last one being in 1976, when the Soviet Union landed the Luna-24 spacecraft on the moon. The samples collected by Chang’e 5 will help scientists learn more about the formation of the moon as well as past lunar volcanic activity.
China has grand plans for further space exploration. Its aim is to land a spacecraft on Mars in 2021, and in less than 10 years, it hopes to launch a mission to Jupiter.
More about the Moon
- Scientists think that the moon came to be when the Earth was still very young. Another planet, roughly the size of Mars, crashed into the Earth about 4.6 billion years ago. The immense collision created lots of debris, which orbited the Earth. The pieces gradually came together to form multiple “moonlets,” which in turn joined to make the moon.
- Scientists have come to know the age of the moon by studying rock samples gathered there. It is about the same age as the Earth – almost 4.6 billion years old.
- It takes the moon 27.3 days to make one complete circle – or orbit – around Earth. Because it rotates at about the same speed that it travels around Earth, we always see the same side of the moon. The side that we never see is called, “the far side of the moon.” Maybe you’ve heard it also called, “the dark side of the moon.” In 2019, China landed a rover on that far side, something which had never been done before. That lonely rover continues to roam around, periodically sending images back to Earth.
- The moon travels at a speed of about 3,700 km/hour ( 2,300 miles/hour).
- The size of the moon is about 1/4 that of the Earth.
- Some parts of the moon are called “seas,” but this is not because they have water. They are actually wide, flat expanses that were formed when the lava that spilled out from ancient volcanic eruptions solidified.
- Rugged terrain, including mountains and gigantic craters, covers much of the moon. The biggest crater is called the South-Pole Aitken Basin, and it is about 8 km (5 miles) deep!
- Seeing the silvery glow from the moon can be a magical experience, but actually, the moon doesn’t produce any light of its own. Instead, it reflects light from the sun. And the reason the moon appears to change shape is that it is constantly on the move. The way different parts of its form are exposed to the sun’s light determines the shape and size of the moon we see each night.
- Temperatures on the moon are extreme. In full sun, the moon’s surface can get up to 127° Celsius (260° Fahrenheit), but without the warmth of the sun, temperatures can get down to -153° C (-243° F)! On average, the moon is a chilly -°55 C (-67° F).
- There are currently six country flags planted on the lunar surface: five from the United States and one from China. But the moon does not belong to anyone. Under international law, no individual or country can claim the moon.
- In the future, more and more exploration is likely. When you look up at the moon the next time, imagine what it would be like if you knew people were up there. This may not be just a dream for long; China has plans to build a moon base!
Source: Chang, Kenneth, The New York Times, “Watch a Chinese Spacecraft Launch From the Moon and Start Its Trip Back to Earth,” https://www.nytimes.com/china-moon-mission.html, December 3, 2020; Aljazeera, “China’s Moon probe completes its first docking in lunar orbit,” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/china-completes-first-docking-in-lunar-orbit, December 6, 2020; National Geographic, “Facts About the Moon,” https://www.nationalgeographic.com/moon-facts/, July 16, 2004; National Geographic Kids, “10 Facts about the Moon,” https://www.natgeokids.com/facts-about-the-moon/.