China launches the Chang’e-5 lunar probe from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan on November 24. [IMAGE: WWW.CLEP.ORG.CN]

China’s Chang’e-5 robotic lunar probe was launched at 4:30 am (Beijing Time) on November 24 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the island province of Hainan, South China.

The probe, carried by a Long March-5 Y5 rocket, will enter Earth-moon transfer trajectory and bring back lunar samples about 20 days later.

The launch marks the start of China’s first unmanned mission to collect soil and rock samples from the moon. It is also the first moon-sample mission in 44 years; the last one being the Soviet Union’s Luna-24 mission in 1976.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences was the initiator, participator and implementer of the country’s lunar exploration program.

Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences