A Chinese probe sent to bring back rocks from the Moon has collected the first samples since landing on the surface yesterday afternoon, officials confirmed. If it succeeds, it will be the first time scientists have obtained fresh samples of lunar rocks since a Soviet probe in the 1976 that returned six ounces of rock. US astronauts brought back 382kg (842lb) of lunar samples from 1969 to 1972, some of which is still being analysed and experimented on. The Chang'e 5 flight is China's third successful lunar landing, following Chang'e 4 that was the first probe to explore the surface of the far side of the Moon. Chinese space programme officials have said they envision future crewed missions along with robotic ones, including possibly a permanent research base.

Source: Daily Mail December 02, 2020 11:36 UTC